{"id":2951,"date":"2013-11-01T08:06:14","date_gmt":"2013-11-01T08:06:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alchealth.com\/news\/?p=2951"},"modified":"2013-11-01T08:06:14","modified_gmt":"2013-11-01T08:06:14","slug":"suffocating-smog-alert-from-china","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alchealth.com\/news\/suffocating-smog-alert-from-china\/","title":{"rendered":"Suffocating Smog Alert from China"},"content":{"rendered":"

Travelers to China need to be aware of a major smog alert in the northern part of the country. Reuters reports<\/a> that Chinese officials have pretty much shut down one of their major cities, Harbin in Heilongjiang province, due to ridiculously heavy smog.<\/p>\n

The index that measures particulate matter in the air clocked in at 1,000 today. A level above 300 is considered hazardous; the World health Organization recommends a daily level no higher than 20. So, yeah, this is thick smog.<\/p>\n

Schools are closed, the airport is closed and traffic is a mess in Harbin, a city of 11 million people. Visitors to the region should take precautions. A stagnant weather pattern has allowed the nasty mix of pollutants to collect over the city.\u00a0 Officials say the dangerous conditions will likely last another 24 hours.<\/p>\n

China is notorious for its smog \u2013 the high profile destinations of Beijing<\/a> and Shanghai<\/a> are both considerably better off than Harbin, but are still more than five times above the WHO\u2019s healthy standard.<\/p>\n

If you ever find yourself in a smog alert when you\u2019re traveling, here are some quick tips to follow:<\/p>\n