China’s major cities on heavy smog alert over weekend
By Globaltimes.cn-CFP, Published: 2016-12-18 14:20:52
The Palace Museum in Beijing is shroud with heavy smog on December 17.
Editor's Note:
At least 24 cities across China have issued heavy smog alerts on Friday as the country suffers from the worst air pollution levels in months. Environmental authorities in Beijing issued a red alert for severe air pollution after smog levels in the capital spiked on Friday. By Saturday afternoon, PM2.5 density exceeded 300 in central Beijing – six times the standards set by the World Health Organization - the Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center reported. Other cities have since issued alerts of different degrees: residents in the metropolises of Tianjin and Zhengzhou saw red alerts, while a yellow alert was issued in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province. A cold front set to hit the capital Wednesday night will disperse the smog, meteorologists said. Photos: CFP

Visitors take photos at The Bund in Shanghai as smog levels spiked on December 17.
Northeast China’s city of Harbin suffers from heavy smog on December 18. Environmental authorities issued the city’s first yellow alert this winter.
Students in Zhengzhou, Central China’s Henan Province, exercise outside on December 17 despite authorities issuing a red alert for smog.
Heavy smog covers Shenyang, Northeast China’s Liaoning Province, on December 17.
The city of Xi’an, Shaanxi Province is covered with heavy smog.
Heavy smog obscures the skyline in Weifang, East China’s Shandong Province, on December 17.