Smog to linger in much of China   

中國(guó)灰霾面積達(dá)143萬(wàn)平方公里 大范圍霧霾將結(jié)束

中國(guó)中東部地區(qū)十余省(區(qū)、市)30日繼續(xù)受大范圍霧霾影響。

Beijing (CNS) -- A large part of China will continue to suffer from smog as air remains seriously polluted for another night, according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection on Wednesday.

An area of 1.43 million square kilometers was shrouded in smog Tuesday, including Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei and Hunan provinces, said the ministry.

The persistent heavy smog has led to a severe decline in air quality in several cities. Air pollution in Beijing, Shijiazhuang, Jinan, Shanghai and Tianjin has reached hazardous levels.

PM2.5 levels in Beijing were above 310 micrograms per cubic meter over a 24-hour period. The National Meteorological Center has issued a blue alert and advised people to stay indoors.

The combination of pollution and fog will gradually start dissipating on Friday as a cold front sweeps through most of China from north to south, according to a forecast by the National Meteorological Center.