100m told to stay indoors as choking smog threatens to engulf ten Chinese cities

More than 100 million people have been warned to stay indoors after at least ten Chinese cities issued red alerts for smog. The alert came as broad swathes of the country suffered through their fourth wave of choking pollution this month. Pollution covered large parts of the country’s east and centre as measures to curb the toxic haze were set in place. The eastern province of Shandong, home to almost 96 million and some of the ten cities under red alert, issued its first ever top-level warning. It is believed to be the first time an entire province has issued a red alert.

Compared to the heavy smog of Beijing, the strong smog of Hebei, and damp heat of Shanghai, I prefer the colours of Nanjing’s smog… it is durable and refreshing… once you breathe it in it sticks to your heart.

Weibo user Diliutianmaoxianjia

The ten cities include the sprawling industrial hub of Tianjin in the northeast. Counts of PM2.5 – harmful microscopic particles that penetrate deep into the lungs – in one of the cities under red alert, central Henan Province’s Xinxiang, were as high as 727 micrograms per cubic metre on Thursday. The reading is nearly 30 times the World Health Organisation’s recommended maximum exposure of 25 over a 24-hour period. However, the capital, Beijing, has cancelled its red alert for pollution as a cold front blew away the foul air which was expected to engulf the city.

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