Smog enveloping Beijing has reached alarming levels, which has led to some startling images hitting social media.
Quartz reports air pollution around the nation's capital has reached its nadir this year, plummeting Beijing into an alarming amount of air particulate.
The publication points to the South China Morning Post, which reports on how grave things have become for the region on Monday: "This year's first red alert for air pollution was issued in at least 23 northern cities, including Beijing, on Thursday, with choking smog forecast to blanket much of the north until Wednesday."
China Xinhua News illustrates how quickly things can turn, highlighting what looks to be a fog rolling into the city.
Sadly, it's not a fog but air pollution that, in some areas, reached remarkable numbers. Quartz states: "By 5 pm today (Dec. 19), Beijing's PM 2.5, the fine particulate matter in its air, had reached 460 in some areas, according to the air quality index (AQI)."
Social media tells a grim and captivating tale that has played out over the last few days.
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An already eerie scene becomes even murkier and surreal as night descends on the area, making it look like the setting of some horror film. This is the reality, sadly, for many who have to maneuver their respective lives around truly remarkable pollution.
SCMP explains that the PM2.5, levels, "soared to more than 1,000 micrograms per cubic meter."
To put that into some rather troubling perspective, the publication notes the World Health Organization's recommendation that humans get no more than 10 micrograms on average per year.
The most immediate impact has been a mass exodus from the area that the publication notes can be seen in flights leaving the city.
The Associated Press reports that along with flight cancellations (due to poor conditions), locals saw emergency protocols such as officials imposing restrictions on automobiles. Factories and schools reportedly also faced closures.
A long and troubling issue has seen its most egregious levels of smog, leaving an iconic city hidden behind the specter of pollution.
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