Beijing and surrounding areas brace for a weekend of hazardous smog

Hazardous smog is expected to engulf the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region on the weekend, while Shanghai, Nanjing and much of the Yangtze River Delta endured heavy air pollution yesterday.

2-MIN READ2-MIN

Haze obscured the Shanghai skyline yesterday as heavy smog hit the city. Similar conditions are due in Beijing this weekend. Photo: AFP

Published: 6:30pm, 16 Oct 2014Updated: 2:59pm, 12 Jan 2018

Hazardous smog is expected to engulf the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region on the weekend, reported weather.com.cn while Shanghai, Nanjing and much of the Yangtze River Delta endured heavy air pollution yesterday.

According to the Central Weather Bureau, from tonight until late on Monday some areas in the mainland's north will see the measure of PM2.5 - superfine particles considered the most dangerous - rise to 500. That is considered hazardous by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The Air Quality Index measures concentrations of various pollutants including PM2.5, the larger PM10, sulphur dioxide and ozone. In the Yangtze River Delta yesterday, Shanghai's index was 197 while in nearby Suzhou it was 218.

Zhang Fanghua, the weather bureau's chief forecaster, attributed the haze to a weak cold front that could not disperse it.

Over the weekend, visibility in central Beijing will be 3km to 7km, with moderate to severe pollution. Southeastern Beijing, middle and southern Hebei and Tianjin will see severe haze and visibility below 1km.

"Cold air will flow in the region on Monday night, causing the fog and haze to weaken gradually or dissipate from north to south," Zhang said.