Oops! Not so fast: Beijing wakes up to ... smog yet again, despite officials cancelling latest red alert

Beijing officials were caught out on Wednesday morning after prematurely cancelling the second of two red alerts in as many weeks.

Residents woke up to polluted grey skies and it was not until 2pm on Wednesday that the smog had clear and people were able to breath cleaner air again.

The concentration of PM2.5 – the finest pollutant particles smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter that pose the greatest threat to health – was recorded at 117 micrograms per cubic metre in the area around Tiananmen Square by 2pm on Wednesday.

Read more: Heavy smog to cloak northern China until cold front moves in

Air pollution across the capital had stayed at hazardous levels throughout the morning with an official hourly air-quality index reading in central Beijing’s eastern second ring road hitting 428 at 10am.

Concentrations of PM2.5 were as high as 327 micrograms per cubic metre – a level that is 13 times above the World Health Organisation’s recommend average exposure over a 24-hour period.

Because of the thick morning smog shrouding the city, many residents questioned why the red alert had been lifted when air pollution was still at dangerous levels.

An emergency order was issued by officials on Wednesday morning after they admitted the smog had lingered longer than expected.

Read more: Beijing issues red alert as ‘worst smog of the year’ headed for northern China