Cities Issue Alerts as Smog Returns to North China

Smoggy days have made a comeback to North China this fall, as officials in some 20 cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei megalopolis region and neighboring areas have issued warnings for heavy air pollution that will last through Thursday.

Beijing activated an orange alert for pollution that took effect Monday at noon, as local authorities noted low visibility in the city and advised residents to take adequate health protection measures, according to a Sunday announcement.