50 Chinese Cities Issue Heavy Smog Alert

Beijing: China's pollution woes today worsened as 50 cities issued air pollution alerts, including the five on first-ever red alerts, the most serious level, for heavily polluted smog.

Roughly 50 cities in northern and eastern China have issued air pollution alerts in the most recent bout of smog, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

This included five cities which are on red alert for hazardous smog.

Tianjin and Eastern Shandong Province issued its first red alert in four cities after warning that the density of PM 2.5, the smallest and deadliest form of airborne particulate matter would exceed 400 micrograms per cubic meter for more than 24 hours.

China has a four-tier warning system, with red as the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue.

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The alert takes effect at 8 am tomorrow, limiting vehicles on the roads while banning fireworks and outdoor barbecues.

While all construction sites will be closed, Beijing will have to grapple with the foul air till the weekend.

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People have been told to reduce outdoor activity and schools are expected to suspend classes.

A blue alert covering the whole province of Anhui, where five cities have had air quality index (AQI) readings over 200 since Tuesday, has also been issued.

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Another 36 cities and counties in the province have issued their own yellow alerts as the smog is forecast to linger for another two days.

Cities in central China's Hubei Province are also affected by the polluted air mass spreading from the north with the pollution not expected to disperse before the weekend, the provincial weather bureau said.

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Hebei, home to six of China's ten "most polluted" cities in November, issued its red alert yesterday.

Tianjin saw its first red alert the same day even as the Beijing alert was lifted.

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State-run CCTV reported red smog in Nanjing city which caused concern among local people.

Officials, however, said the red colour was caused by sunlight, the report said.

After four days of red alert Beijing lowered it today with a warning by officials that the smog will persist till the weekend.

Schools opened today but the children were asked remain in class rooms while the restrictions car number plates have been lifted.

But the readings of PM 2.5 of the city lowered to 455 from yesterday's 500 in the US Embassy pollution monitor here. This is the second time Beijing issued red alert after the first ever one on December 6.

Guo Yingchun, spokesperson of the neighbouring provincial meteorological department, said all the province's 11 cities will roll out strict measures including limitations on the number of vehicles on the roads.