Highest alert for air pollution issued for Hebei capital

Shijiazhuang in North China's Hebei province issued a red alert for heavy air pollution from 7 am on Monday, urging factories and construction sites to reduce emissions so that the pollution might be mitigated.

The conditions for diffusion in the city have deteriorated, and pollutants have continued to accumulate since Sunday, leading to potential moderate to severe air pollution, said a notice by the city's office of emergency command on heavy pollution weather.

Under China's four-tier warning system for air pollution, red is the most severe.