China on Friday issued red — the highest level response — and orange alerts as heavy smog engulfed Beijing and other parts of the country ahead of the New Year.
PM2.5 readings in many areas of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province exceeded 200. In Shijiazhuang, Hebei provincial capital, the index exceeded 400, meaning serious pollution.
Beijing started its orange alert, the second-highest level. The alert will continue on Saturday and Sunday.
Tianjin began an orange alert last night, banning heavy diesel trucks from roads and cutting 30 per cent of pollutant emissions of key factories.
Eight cities, including Shijiazhuang in Hebei, activated red alerts, the highest level response, on Thursday night, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
