Blue skies return after smoggy weekend

Residents of the country's northern regions embraced blue skies on Monday following thick smog that smothered more than 60 cities on the weekend, which was the first time different regions have issued alerts jointly.

A cold front with strong winds helped disperse airborne pollutants, blowing them southward, but also lowered temperatures in northern regions, as much as 12 degrees in some areas, the Central Meteorological Observatory said on Monday.

The cold front is due to last for about five days, bringing with it good air quality, it said.