Beijing suffers second day of pollution "red alert"

Beijing is suffering a second day of a pollution "red alert", which has effectively closed down the city.

The emergency measure was issued late on Monday and will last until noon on Thursday 10th December. The red alert, the highest possible warning that can be issued, sent the Chinese capital into shutdown, with schools and nurseries closed for three days, building sites and factories ordered to power down and cars only allowed to travel every other day.

This is the first time the country has issued such an alert. It was triggered when the US Embaassy's air pollution monitor in Beijing found that the dangerous particles PM 2.5 were present in the air at a density of 291 micrograms per cubic metre - more than 10 times the 25 per cubic metre regarded as the maximum safe threshold by the World Health Organisation.

This is far from rare for the city, though. Indeed, last week, the intensity was at 40 times the WHO maximum, notes one BBC reporter, and "children felt their way to the still open schools through the poisonous gloom".

The state-run news agency CCTV has issued a string of "tips to survive the smog", notes the Guardian, including "smile and try to be positive (hopefully there will be less smog tomorrow)". Residents were also advised to "blow your nose and even wipe down your skin after being outside".

Some have been skeptical about the measure's effectiveness, though, with coal-based power stations largely responsible for the build-up of pollution over the years. On Thursday, a cold front is expeted to help clear the smog, lowering it to less severe levels.