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Double jeopardy of fog and heavy smog across northern, central China

Heavy fog and air pollution were forecast for Beijing and central China on Thursday and Friday, the National Meteorological Centre warned on Wednesday as air quality plunged in the capital.

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A man surveys the Forbidden City in Beijing on Wednesday as air quality in the capital descended to heavily polluted levels. Photo: Simon Song

Heavy fog and air pollution were forecast for Beijing and central China on Thursday and Friday, the National Meteorological Centre warned on Wednesday as air quality plunged in the capital.

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The centre issued both a yellow smog alert - the lowest level on the three-tier system - and a fog warning for Beijing, neighbouring Tianjin and Hebei province.

Watch: Heavy fog and air pollution hover over Beijing

The warnings came as official air quality index readings in both Beijing and Tianjin surpassed 200 on Wednesday morning to reach "heavily polluted levels". Under those conditions children and the elderly are advised to stay indoors.

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Pollution - albeit less severe - was also expected to blanket large parts of Shanxi in the west, the central provinces of Hubei and Hunan , and several northeastern regions.

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