Beijing air pollution reaches extremely hazardous levels

The public has been warned to take protective measures when engaging in outdoor activities and those who suffer from respiratory diseases are advised to stay indoors.

A man wearing a mask to protect himself from pollutants walks past a moral and a construction building on a heavily polluted day in Beijing, Monday, November 30. (Source: AP)

China is the top polluter along with the US in green house gases. Last year The two reached an agreement to take ambitious action to limit greenhouse gases.

A woman uses a cloth to cover her face from pollutants as she walks past a construction building on a heavily polluted day in Beijing, Monday, November 30. (Source: AP)

Yesterday, the reading for PM 2.5, airborne particles smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter, hit 274 micrograms per cubic meter in most parts of the capital.

Commuters, some wearing masks to protect themselves from pollutants, wait at a bus stand on a heavily polluted day in Beijing, Monday, November 30. (Source: AP)

Under the orange weather alert mechanism, industrial plants are required to reduce or shut down production; construction sites should stop the transportation of materials and waste while heavy-duty trucks are banned from the roads.

A man wearing a mask to protect himself from pollutants walks on a pedestrian overhead bridge on a heavily polluted day in Beijing, Monday, November 30. (Source: AP)

The municipal weather centre said humidity and a lack of wind would mean the smog will linger for another two days, before a cold front arrives on Wednesday.

A woman wearing a mask to protect herself from pollutants walks past a construction site on a heavily polluted day in Beijing, Monday, November 30. (Source: AP)

The municipal environment watchdogs have reinforced checks of discharge from coal-fired plants and outdoor barbecues.

Buildings are shrouded by heavily polluted haze in Beijing, Monday, November 30, 2015. (Source: AP)