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| Northern China smog closes schools and airport in Harbin | Northern China smog closes schools and airport in Harbin |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Smog has choked China's northern city of Harbin, Heilongjiang province, forcing schools and highways to shut and disrupting flights on Monday. | Smog has choked China's northern city of Harbin, Heilongjiang province, forcing schools and highways to shut and disrupting flights on Monday. |
| The density of airborne particles was several times above World Health Organisation recommended limits. | The density of airborne particles was several times above World Health Organisation recommended limits. |
| Visibility was reduced to below 50m (160ft) in parts of the city, reports said. | Visibility was reduced to below 50m (160ft) in parts of the city, reports said. |
| Local media have linked the pollution to the city switching on its public heating system for winter. | Local media have linked the pollution to the city switching on its public heating system for winter. |
| PM2.5 levels, used to measure the amount of particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometres in the air, were above 500 micrograms per cubic metre on Monday morning, state-run news agency Xinhua reported. | PM2.5 levels, used to measure the amount of particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometres in the air, were above 500 micrograms per cubic metre on Monday morning, state-run news agency Xinhua reported. |
| World Health Organization guidelines say average daily concentrations of PM2.5 should be no more than 25 microgrammes per cubic metre. | World Health Organization guidelines say average daily concentrations of PM2.5 should be no more than 25 microgrammes per cubic metre. |
| All of Heilongjiang province's highways, and the Taiping International Airport in Harbin were forced to close, Xinhua reported. | |
| A red alert for thick smog had been issued in the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning, the news agency added. | |
| Earlier this year, air pollution in China's capital, Beijing, also soared past hazardous levels. | Earlier this year, air pollution in China's capital, Beijing, also soared past hazardous levels. |
| The smog generated extensive discussion on Sina Weibo, one of China's Twitter-like microblogs. | |
| "We were all late for class today because we couldn't find the academic building," microblog user MaltzZz from Jilin province wrote. | |
| Harbin-based Sina Weibo user Backpacker Xiao described Harbin as "today's dead city". | |
| "Beijing, you're no longer alone. You have us too now," he wrote, in reference to the frequent air pollution suffered by Beijing. | |
| Meanwhile, netizen Pen and Ink Silent, a student in Changchun, Jilin, posted the following tongue-in-cheek message: "My mother called... and asked how the air in Changchun was, and if I was coughing. I feel ok, I should be able to live to see my graduation." |