Schools in Beijing are closed and outdoor construction halted after the Chinese capital was issued with its first ever
pollution "Red alert".
The red alert, the highest possible
warning level, began on Tuesday morning
and will last until midday on Thursday.
Limits have been placed on car use and
some factories have been ordered to
stop operations.
The alert comes as China, the world's
largest polluter, takes part in talks on carbon emissions in Paris.
China's CCTV news channel reported at
the weekend that some parts of Beijing
had visibility of only 200m. The order will
last from07:00 local time on Tuesday until 12:00 onThursday, when a cold front is
expected toarrive and clear the smog.
As well as limits on construction and
schools,cars with odd and even number
plates will bebanned from driving on alternate days.