Beijing has raised its air pollution alert to 'orange', its second highest alert level. It comes as a wave of intense smog continues to blanket the Chinese capital.

Beijing elevates air pollution alert to orange

China's Meteorological Center says Beijing, Tianjin Municipalities and parts of central Hebei Province are currently under a "heavy haze", with visibility less than 500 meters in some places. Beijing issued a yellow-level smog alert on Wednesday, the first in the Chinese capital since early July. Hebei issued orange alert, higher than the yellow, on Wednesday and has maintained it since.

People have been advised to either stay indoors or wear face masks if they go outside. Students have been advised to suspend outdoor activities and reduce physical exercise. A lack of rainfall and low temperatures brought by the transition of seasons are major contributors to the bad weather, experts say, but the heavy smog is expected to lift at the weekend.

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