Severe smog in north China to disperse

A sculpture in Luoyang city, Henan province wears an anti-dust mask, Oct 9, 2014. [Photo/IC]

BEIJING - Severe smog and air pollution shrouding China's northern regions since Wednesday is forecast to disperse in the next three days, according to the National Meteorological Center (NMC) on Saturday.

A strong cold front coming from west China will bring good news to the people suffering from air pollution, as strong wind and drops in temperature will hit the regions to the north of the Yangtze River in the next three days, said the NMC.

Widespread smog has affected a large part of north China, with air conditions in northern Chinese cities including Beijing and Tianjin severe. On Saturday morning, the observatory issued an orange alert for smog and a yellow alert for fog in the two cities and the neighboring Hebei province.

Visibility in the above regions was reduced to as little as 200 meters on Saturday morning due to the fog and smog, according to the NMC.

The approaching typhoon Vongfong would also help clear the air as strong winds would come along with it in the eastern coastal areas in the next three days, said the NMC.

China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.

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