Smog alert renewed for Beijing

Heavy smog and fog hit Beijing, Oct. 14, 2014. Beijing issued a yellow alert for smog amid air pollution and fog that reduced visibility to about one kilometer. China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe weather, followed by orange, yellow and blue. (Photo: China News Service/Jin Shuo)

China's national observatory renewed its yellow alert, the third-highest level of warning, Saturday morning for smog in Beijing.

Moderate smog will fall over Beijing and northeast Hebei Province from Saturday morning to Sunday morning, with some areas to see heavy smog, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) said.

Residents are advised to take protective measures, and those with respiratory diseases should reduce outdoor activities, NMC said.

Beijing's Air Quality Index (AQI) hit 213 in Saturday morning, with hazardous fine particulate matter PM2.5 being the major pollutant, data from the municipal environmental monitoring center showed.

The city has raised its alert for air pollution to yellow on Friday afternoon, with the AQI topping 300.

The weather is expected to improve starting Sunday evening with the arrival of a mild cold front, said the Beijing Environmental Protection Monitoring Center.

China has a four-tier color-coded system for severe weather, with red being the most serious, followed by orange, yellow and blue. The meteorological authorities issue alerts when the AQI reaches 200 and severe air pollution is forecast to last at least one day.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection said Thursday that air quality in 338 Chinese cities showed improvement in the first three quarters of the year.

However, six out of the 10 cities with the worst air quality were still in Hebei Province, an area adjoining Beijing, said the ministry.