Worst ever air pollution expected this week
China is fast asleep at the moment but the people of Beijing will wake up to the first ever 'red alert' over the city's smog.
The warning means industry and construction will be limited while schools will be shut down. The alert will last until mid-day on Thursday.
An earlier 'orange alert' already curbed some industry and banned cars with odd/even licence plates from driving on alternate days.
Current readings of pollution aren't yet at extreme levels but forecasters expect a spike beginning on Tuesday. Visibility is said to be only about 200 meters.
The main culprit is coal-powered electricity. It's time for China to get serious about building nuclear power plants.
Currently one-third of visits to Beijing's children's hospital are due to respiratory diseases.
For more, read about the change in China that could suffocate the global economy.
