Get your masks ready! Beijing issues its first ever RED ALERT for smog

Despite earlier reports to the contrary, Beijing will issue its first ever red alert for air pollution as heavy smog is set to descend upon the city in the coming days.

A red alert means that from 7 a.m. on Tuesday to 12 p.m. on Thursday, public schools will be closed and there will be a strict odd-even car ban imposed. Also, it should go without saying, but no barbecuing!

The city's air pollution reached year-high levels early last week with thick smog that shrouded landmarks and horrified the world during a global conference on climate change in Paris attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Initiially, this latest batch of smog wasn't predicted to be quite so toxic as the last, though authorities raised the alert level to "orange" over the weekend. Schools were to be required to keep their students indoors and heavy polluting factories were required to shut down until Thursday, when the smog is once again predicted to be dispersed.

But no longer! IT'S A RED ALERT! Everyone put on your masks, grab your industrial vacuum cleaners and follow Nut Brother into battle!

Source: shanghaiist.com