Shanghai residents awoke this morning to thick fog blanketing the city. From high above, the fog made for some pretty stunning images:
On the ground, however, things looked a little less... picturesque. Downright eerie, in fact, with buildings seeming to disappear as visibility hit less than 200 meters in certain areas of the city.
The thick fog prompted an orange fog alert (the second highest level) from the city's weather bureau, stricter safety measures and increased police presence on the roads, suspended ferry operations on the Huangpu River and airport woes at both Pudong International and Shanghai Hongqiao Airports as nearly 100 flights were delayed and another 50 canceled due to the extremely low visibility.
Despite the dramatic-looking photos, however, PM2.5 levels were 'moderate' with an air quality index (AQI) of under 100 at the time the fog enveloped the city, according to the US Consulate General's air quality monitor.
As of 4.45pm this afternoon, after the fog had left, the AQI had risen to 175 ('unhealthy').
READ MORE: Why Winter is the Most Polluted Time of Year in China
[Images via The Paper, Weibo, Netease, Xinhua]
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