North China new year will be smog-bound

BEIJING -- Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei and Henan in North and Central China will see 2017 under cover of smog.

Beijing issued an orange alert for air pollution on Thursday that will last till Sunday, New Year's Day.

Heavy polluting vehicles and trucks carrying construction waste will be banned from roads and some manufacturing firms will cut production.

An orange alert means AQI is forecast to exceed 200 for three consecutive days.

Henan and Hebei, where smog is expected to last till Jan. 5, issued red and orange alerts.

The education bureau of Zhengzhou, Henan's capital, ordered kindergartens, primary and middle schools to suspend classes on Friday.

Eight cities, including Shijiazhuang, Hebei's capital, are on red alert, with odd-even plate restrictions and industry cutting 40 percent of discharge.