Choking smog hits Beijing, with clear skies not expected until Monday

Beijing woke to more choking smog on Friday morning with the skies not expected to clear until Monday.

The capital’s Environmental Protection Bureau issued a blue alert for air pollution on Thursday afternoon, forecasting an air quality index of between 200 and 300 for at least a day.

Visibility dropped to below 500 metres in some areas of the city as the pollution mixed with heavy fog.

At 9am, the capital recorded an average air quality index of 277 with some areas reaching almost 350, according to monitoring data from the United States Embassy in Beijing.

The smog blanketed not only Beijing but also some parts of Liaoning and Shandong provinces and was expected to continue through Saturday.