Smog to linger until Friday night

Smog will linger and worsen to hazardous levels in many northern cities, including Beijing, until Friday night, when wind will disperse the pollutants, the national environmental authority said on Wednesday.

The levels of major air pollutants climbed in Beijing since Tuesday and continued to worsen. By 7 pm on Wednesday, the peak reading of PM2.5 - particulate matter of less than 2.5 microns in diameter that is hazardous to health - reached 211 micrograms per cubic meter.

Air pollution in Beijing stood at the second-worst level, hazardous to human health, and the capital issued a yellow alert on Wednesday, the third-highest alert of the four-tier emergency response system.