Appalling air quality: Beijing takes deep breath as smog season sets in

Beijing was hit by serious smog on Sunday as forecasters warned people living in the capital to brace for more days of poor air quality with the arrival of autumn.

Autumn and winter are usually the seasons when air pollution in Beijing turns for the worse.

The authorities issued the first yellow alert – the lowest in the three-tier system – for poor air quality on Sunday and said the smog had ushered in the start of the pollution season, according to the official Weather.com.cn.

Despite showers over the previous two nights which usually help clear the air, the air pollution remained poor.

The air quality index reading was 229 at 6pm, categorised as very unhealthy.

The major pollutant was PM2.5, small particulates in the air deemed very harmful to health, the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Monitoring Centre said.