Northern areas prepare for a challenging foggy winter

Northern regions of the country will confront more frequent and stronger smog this winter due to the impact of the La Nina phenomena, a senior air pollution control official warned.

La Nina is a periodic cooling of the surface of the equatorial Pacific Ocean, which causes abnormal weather patterns.

Beijing has experienced four rounds of smog since October, and neighboring cities like Tianjin and those in Hebei province have issued emergency response alerts.