Pollution is So Bad in China, the Government Warns Against Playing in the Snow

The Chinese winter season’s first snow of the year fell on Thursday, but it came with an advisory from the Beijing Meteorological Bureau urging locals to stay indoors, Shanghaiist reported. The alert, posted twice on Weibo, cautioned residents against the pollution-contaminated precipitation.

It has been earlier reported that the entire city and several parts of China have been under a blanket of dark haze for days now and the local government warns that the snow has been made dirty because of the smog. Just days ago, China has issued its national red alert for “severe fog” — the highest warning in a three-tier system of yellow, orange and red — on Tuesday for the first time in history.

Beijing’s alert warning has since been lowered to orange alert but residents are still advised against any outdoor activity for the time being. The current alert level is expected to stay at least for the weekend.

In recent months, the terrible air condition in China’s major cities has resulted in disruptions in transportation, commerce, and education among others.