Smog blankets Beijing, northern China, causes road closures around the country
Visibility falls to 50 metres in some parts of the capital as air pollution soars despite efforts to ensure blue skies during party congress
China’s efforts to ensure blue skies for the Communist Party’s national congress failed as heavy smog blanketed Beijing throughout the week-long event and worsened as cadres headed back home.
An orange air pollution alert – the second highest on the four-tier scale – was issued for the capital on Friday morning.
The China Meteorological Administration said that in some parts of the capital, visibility was as low as 50 metres.
The administration said that as of 3pm in Beijing, the density of PM2.5 – particularly fine pollutants harmful to human health – was 186 micrograms per cubic metre, well above the World Health Organisation’s recommended safe level of 25.
Beijing-based website Aqicn.org said PM2.5 levels in the capital reached 277 micrograms per cubic metre in the mid-afternoon, making the air quality “very unhealthy”.
The authorities tried to clear the skies for the congress by introducing a raft of measures, including factory closures and traffic restrictions.