Weather authority to issue 'firework index' during Spring Festival

(ECNS) – The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) will forecast air quality with a "firework index" around the country during the upcoming Spring Festival (from Jan 29 to Feb 14), in an effort to encourage the public to set off fireworks "properly," according to Xinhuanet.

It's a tradition in China to set off fireworks during Spring Festival, which create dust and sulfur dioxide, resulting in serious air pollution.

The authority will publish a four-grade meteorological index, factoring in safety, diffusion of contaminants, wind, humidity, and precipitation.

According to the current forecast, weather in areas of the southern part of north China, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and parts of the Sichuan Basin, will not be suitable for fireworks from Jan 30 to Feb 1, as smog may appear.

Chen Zhenlin, an official with the CMA, said air records in Beijing from 2006 to 2013 showed that PM2.5 concentrations surged during Spring Festival Eve, Spring Festival, and the night of Lantern Festival.

Records also showed that PM2.5 concentrations in downtown Beijing hit 1,486 micrograms per cubic meter on Spring Festival Eve in 2012, surging 1,100 micrograms per cubic meter in an hour.