Smog to lift at weekend after days of transport disruption

The latest bout of smog to envelop North China is expected to lift by the weekend, after yet again causing disruption to transportation networks and to residents across the region.

The National Meteorological Center (NMC) said that the yellow alert for heavy smog would continue for now in parts of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei and Liaoning provinces as long as current weather patterns continue. After an expected cold front on Friday evening, the situation may change.

Beijing saw PM2.5 levels approaching 400 on Thursday, although the figure fell to 100 in eastern Beijing in the afternoon, according to the municipal environmental monitoring center. Beijing's environmental watchdog issued a second yellow pollution alert for Beijing on Monday for the second time in 2014.

Thirteen highways were closed and more than 10 flights were delayed in Liaoning Province, local authorities announced Thursday, although all highways were reopened by the afternoon.

One person died and two were injured in a 49-vehicle pile-up on Wednesday in a highway in Shandong Province caused by poor visibility.

"Smog and fog appear frequently from late autumn to early spring due to colder temperatures and weaker air flows, but there will often be cold fronts passing through to break up the dense air," said Sun Jisong, lead meteorologist from the Beijing Meteorological Bureau.

Outdoor activities were called off for Beijing students and enterprises were asked to cut output to reduce emissions under the government emergency response to the pollution.

The plan was widely criticized when Beijing's first yellow pollution alert did nothing to alleviate smog levels in February.

"It's really ironic to advise people to stay indoors, because people must go out for school or for work. Reminders to watch their health also can't help reduce pollution. Authorities must prioritize pollutant control," Huang Wei, a Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner, told the Global Times, adding that regulated and coercive measures must be taken to restrict pollutant-emitters.