Beijing smog to linger until Friday night

Vehicles run on a road in smog in Beijing, capital of China, March 27, 2014. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

The Ministry of Environmental Protection said on Thursday that the smog shrouding Beijing and surrounding areas will persist until Friday night, when cool air will finally arrive to disperse it.

By 10am on Thursday, the density readings of PM2.5 -- airborne particles measuring less than 2.5 microns in diameter -- reached 322 in Beijing, higher than in the same period of Wednesday.

A ministry press release quoted an unnamed official as saying that the weather on Friday daytime will not help diffuse pollutants and that part of the surrounding areas will continue to suffer severe smog.

The latest bout of smog has smothered Beijing since Monday, with the city's Air Quality Index (AQI) standing at 294 at 2:30pm, indicating serious air pollution.

The official pledged to release air quality information in a timely manner and take effective measures to deal with the pollution, including by canceling outdoor activities in schools, suspending factory production and implementing traffic restrictions during severely polluted days.