We knew it couldn’t last. Three whole days of blissfully blue skies. It was almost too good to be true… It was definitely too good to last.
Well, take a deep breath guys. Because Beijing just got slapped with a red alert that will last from December 16 to 21. The announcement was made earlier today on the Beijing environmental protection bureau's official Weibo account.
Heavy smog will roll into the capital around 8pm on Friday, and is expected to linger for roughly five days. So you better bust out those masks and air filters.
Read More: Facemask 101 - Protect Yourself From Pollution
There have recently been changes made to China’s air warning system, which have now gone into effect. A red alert used to be issued if the air was expected to be above an AQI of 200 for three consecutive days. However, red alerts are now issued if the daily average AQI is forecast to be above 200 for four or more days. It also has to be above 300 for two consecutive days or over 500 for one of those days, The Guardian reports.
A red alert is the highest possible warning in China’s four-level pollution alert system and triggers a number of restrictions on factories, construction work and vehicle use. Beijing’s first-ever red alert came last December, when schools were closed and construction projects halted.
Rest assured, the air is going to be really bad. If you don't have a pollution mask, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best.
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