China’s pollution spreads as dozens of cities raise alerts over worst smog of the year
As Beijing prepares to stand down from its highest air pollution warning, neighbouring areas predict escalated risk in coming days
Air pollution remained dangerously high in Beijing on Tuesday while surrounding cities and provinces escalated their alert levels as northern China suffered through some of its worst smog of the year.
Concentrations of PM2.5 – particles that pose the greatest threat to human health – were 596 micrograms per cubic metre at central Beijing’s Temple of Heaven at 5pm. The level is 22 times higher than the World Health Organisation’s recommended average exposure over a 24-hour period.
PM2.5 levels were predicted to fall to 200 on Wednesday ahead of the arrival of a cold front tomorrow, the capital’s environmental monitoring centre said.
READ MORE - Heavy smog to cloak northern China until cold front moves in
Hebei province issued its first smog red alert at 11am and said the warning would remain in effect until Tuesday night. Eleven cities in the province responded by ordering half of all their vehicles off the roads.