Ministry forecasts air pollution in capital region

The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region is expected to see moderate to heavy air pollution from Thursday to Sunday due to unfavorable weather conditions, according to a forecast released by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment on Wednesday.

The weather conditions at the beginning of November are not favorable for dispersing pollutants, with the hourly average concentration of PM2.5 expected to climb to 200 micrograms per cubic meter, it said.

According to the forecast, this round of pollution will influence both the capital region and neighboring areas, including Shanxi province and Henan province, with the central places most affected.

Cities including Beijing and Shijiazhuang, Baoding, Tangshan and Langfang in Hebei province will suffer moderate to heavy air pollution.

Hebei, which surrounds Beijing and usually sees frequent smog during the winter, issued an orange alert - the second highest level - for the air pollution on Wednesday.

The pollution is expected to ease gradually from Sunday night when cold air arrives in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.