Beijing falls under cloud of heavy pollution Thursday

The Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center announced on Thursday morning that the air quality in the capital reached a state of heavy pollution at 10 am.

The average density of PM2.5 - fine, breathable particles with diameters of 2.5 micrometers or smaller - was 202, according to the center.

Affected by high humidity, the PM 2.5 level was high in the city, especially in eastern areas.

The center predicted cold air will arrive in Beijing in the evening, which will help ease the pollution.