Heavy air pollution plagues parts of city
Shanghai is shrouded in thick smog on December 24, 2020.
A yellow alert for heavy air pollution was issued by local authorities at 8am this morning.
Yellow is the third-highest alert in the four-tier system.
The main pollutant is PM2.5, blown in from the north, and the concentration reached 157 micrograms per cubic meter, 82 micrograms higher than the healthy standard, according to the local ecology and environment bureau.
As of 9:30am, heavy air pollution affected Putuo, Yangpu, Hongkou and Xuhui Districts. The highest concentration was 217 in Hongkou.
People should keep windows closed, and children, the elderly and those with heart and respiratory diseases should stay inside, said the bureau.
Heavy pollution will persist until Saturday when a weak cold front will improve air quality.
