Smog in Chinese metropolis Shanghai hit its highest level since January on Tuesday, prompting schools to ban outdoor activities and authorities to limit work at construction sites and factories as polluted air spreads around the country.
Last week, hazardous pollution levels in Beijing triggered the capital’s first “red alert,” meaning vehicles were ordered off the roads, classes were cancelled and heavy vehicles banned.
Shanghai’s heavy smog arrived just a day before the city hosts the closely-watched World Internet Conference, which will include a speech by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Attendees are expected to include global tech industry titans and the leaders of countries such as Russia and Pakistan.
On Tuesday, a curtain of grey smog fell over Shanghai, China’s business capital with a population of over 20 million.
It limited visibility and drove the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) above 300, a level deemed “hazardous” on most scales and which can have a long-term impact on health.
The levels of PM 2.5, dangerous tiny pollutants, hit 281, the highest since mid-January, according to data compiled by the United States (US) Department of State.