The city government of Beijing has issued a red alert warning regarding air pollution levels for the second time this month, prompting officials to enact precautionary measures including the closure of schools.
The China Meteorological Administration's (CMA) National Meteorological Center announced that the levels of pollution in the cities of Beijing, Tianjin and their surrounding areas are set to increase on Saturday, Dec. 19, and could likely reach severe levels by Tuesday, Dec. 22.
The agency said some areas, such as in Beijing and the Hebei province, could even experience PM2.5 concentrations that are beyond 500 micrograms per cubic meter.
Based on government guidelines, residents are advised to remain indoors when pollution levels reach beyond the 300 micrograms per cubic meter mark.
The first red alert warning was released by the city government of Beijing last week after receiving criticisms that earlier spells of smog were not able to cause officials to issue the highest possible warning level.
Governments typically issue a red alert warning when experts deem that the quality of air is likely to reach beyond the 200 level, which is based on the air quality index designed to monitor different pollutants for at least three days.
Air quality levels above the index's 200 mark is considered to already be "very unhealthy" to humans by the United States government.
In China's capital city of Beijing, the issuance of a red alert warning causes the removal of half the number of vehicles from roads, which is usually determined by the government's odd-even license plate system. It also triggers a closure of schools and the banning of outdoor construction projects.
Other cities also follow an early warning procedure similar to Beijing's colored alert system. They have implemented similar restrictions as well during severe cases of air pollution.
Tianjin, Beijing's neighboring city, is planning to remove half the number of vehicles from roads during red alert events.
The government of Shenyang said that it is going to release an orange warning over the weekend, which means that residents are strongly advised not to spend too much time outdoors, while the government of Harbin said it expects clear skies in the next few days with only a few spells of smog.
Photo: L W Yang | Flickr
