China on yellow alert for smog

China's weather observatory issued a yellow alert on Thursday for smog that has shrouded the country's northern and eastern regions, including Beijing and Tianjin.

Smog will blanket parts of Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Jiangsu and Liaoning until Friday night, the National Meteorological Center forecast.

Polluted air was reported in 163 cities across China as of midday on Wednesday after air pollution reared its ugly head on Tuesday, the Ministry of Environmental Protection said.

Air pollution has repeatedly hit China, especially the north, in the winter of 2015.

China has a four-tier warning system for weather changes, with red as the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue. Endi