Chinese capital Beijing's first ever red alert for high air pollution was lifted today after the hazardous smog which engulfed the city of over 22 million residents dissipated bringing much relief to them.
The red alert which hit global headlines ended at noon today when blue skies reappeared after strong winds helped to disperse pollution that had shrouded the Chinese capital in toxic smog.
Earlier today the Beijing municipal government issued a "thank you" message to residents in appreciation of the public's understanding and cooperation in helping to reduce pollution levels.
"(Your cooperation) has made a significant contribution to stopping further worsening of the smog," said the municipal government letter published on its website.
"We are deeply moved by everybody's dedication and full support," it said.
On Tuesday, the smog blanketed at least six provinces and municipalities, covering more than 840,000 square kilometers, the Ministry of Environmental Protection said.
In addition to Beijing, Tianjin and 29 cities in Hebei, Shandong and Shanxi provinces have issued different levels of alert aimed at curbing the smog.
However, the relief and excitement about the reappearance of blue sky has already been overshadowed by concerns that the heavy smog will return again in two days' time.
Meteorologists expect heavy smog to once shroud the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area over the weekend because of the lack of winds, Hong Kong based South China Morning Post reported.
"Two days, only two days (of blue sky), sigh," posted one social media commentator on Weibo, the Chinese Twitter.
The PM 2.5 levels, the main gauge to measure pollution by the US Embassy Monitor here dropped below 100 after touching nearly 400 in the last two days.
Anything below is regarded to be in moderate range.
Under the red alert, kindergartens, primary and high schools were closed, car use was restricted with odd and even number plates and outdoor operations of construction sites halted. A number of industrial plants were also ordered to limit or stop production.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection Emergency said that the measures cut pollutant emissions in Beijing by 30 per cent.
Without the measures, the density of PM2.5, tiny and particularly hazardous airborne particles, would have risen by 10 per cent, environmentalists with Beijing University of Technology said.
The density of PM2.5 sulfates, commonly caused by coal-burning, was much higher on Tuesday while the air held far less PM2.5 nitrates, mostly emitted by vehicles, Chai Fahe, deputy head of the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences told state-run Xinhua news agency.
This indicated that the traffic restrictions were effective but more work needs to be done to reduce emissions from coal burning, Chai said.