Heavy smog continues to shroud China into the New Year

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In the wake of the New Year, dense smog continued to be present in most places across China. A total of 61 Chinese cities are on alert due to serious air pollution, which might affect many people's holiday activities.

Under unfavorable weather conditions, the provinces of Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong, Henan and municipalities of Beijing and Tianjin and so on will see heavily polluted air for most of the week. The smog will be dispersed to some extent thanks to a cold front on Monday, but a new round of air pollution is forecast to last until Thursday in most cities, said the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

Beijing's Tian'anmen Square is shrouded with heavy smog on Jan.1 2017. /CFP Photo

Among the 61 cities which issued warnings, 24 cities in Hebei, Henan and Shandong Provinces are on red alert, 21 cities like Beijing and Tianjin on orange, and 16 cities in Shaanxi and Shanxi on yellow.

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

Beijing citizens wear masks as the city is shrouded with heavy smog on Jan. 1 2017. /CFP Photo

The ministry has dispatched ten inspection teams to different regions to supervise the implementation of environmental protection measures taken by some major industrial enterprises, the ministry said.

Beijing's Tian'anmen Square is shrouded with heavy smog on Jan.1 2017. /CFP Photo‍

Shrouded by heavy smog, the Tianjin section of Changchun-Shenzhen Highway was closed on Saturday, stranding several thousand vehicles. At least nine highways in Hebei Province and fourteen in Henan Province have been shut down. In places with red alerts, school have been suspended and cars been restricted on the road.