'Close your windows' Shanghai residents told, as government issues air pollution alert

Lingering bad air forced Shanghai to issue an emergency pollution alert yesterday, putting it on par with the more usually polluted capital Beijing. 

Elderly people, children and those with heart and lung conditions in both cities were advised against outdoor activities yesterday. Shanghai also advised residents to limit the time they opened their windows at home.

In response to heavily polluted air, the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau raised the blue emergency pollution alert - the lowest on a four-tier warning system. That was on top of a yellow haze alert that had been in place since Friday afternoon.

Shanghai's official air quality index (AQI) hit a high of 275 early yesterday. The blue emergency alert, the city's first this year, meant the AQI was forecast to be between 201 and 300 (heavily polluted). The bureau said strong winds would help disperse the pollution and haze today and tomorrow.

The service also demanded that the municipal and city governments clean rubbish from roads more frequently, and advised against outdoor events that would attracts crowds.

Some bloggers pointed out that Shanghai has only had three clear days so far this year, with the remaining days either classified as polluted or heavily polluted.