Fog blanketed many parts of eastern China yesterday and wreaked havoc in traffic - even as meteorologists were calling for more of the same today.

In Shandong Province, the Jinan-Qingzhou expressway and the Dezhou and Jinan sections of the Beijing-Fuzhou expressway were closed due to fog, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Visibility in many parts of Jinan, capital of Shandong, was less than 50 meters, the Xinhua report said, adding that long lines of vehicles were seen on expressways around Jinan.

Central China Television (CCTV) reported that some air traffic in Jinan and Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, was also delayed.

Sources with the Beijing traffic management bureau said no expressways around Beijing were closed due to the foggy weather.

The fog was caused by a combination of falling temperatures and rain or snow that fell in the region over the past few days, according to CCTV.

An expert with the Beijing Meteorological Observatory said similar conditions will prevail until tomorrow.

The expert also suggested people reduce their outdoor activities because air quality is not good in foggy weather.

"It's easy for afflictions such as respiratory diseases to develop in such weather," he said.

He also said drivers need to pay special attention and reduce their speed.

On Sunday fog caused more than 10 traffic accidents within a three-kilometer stretch on an expressway in Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui Province.

(China Daily December 3, 2003)