Authorities in Beijing have urged elementary and middle schools to suspend outdoor activities as an orange alert was issued for heavy smog in the city on Monday. The order will take effect starting on Tuesday, and the warning comes after a week of record pollution levels in the city.

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On Sunday, smog enveloped parts of the northern and central China after a cold front succeeded in relieving the region of heavy smog last week according to the National Meteorological Center (NMC).

Parts of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei will experience medium to heavy smog on Tuesday and Wednesday, International Business Times reported. However, it would not be as critical as the air pollution last week, an NMC forecast stated. The last smog alert was issued last Nov. 29 when Beijing and dozens of Chinese cities recorded an extremely high level of pollution.

An orange alert was subsequently issued, forcing factories and construction sites to shut down. The orange alert is the second most severe warning in the country's color-coded weather alert system. When the smog alert was lifted last week, the city was able to enjoy four days of clear and dust free air until Sunday.

Meanwhile, there have been debates about the causes of the deteriorating air quality. Some critics have accused authorities of downplaying the severity of the situation. Meteorological reasons like high humidity, temperature inversion, low winds, emission of local coal, and constructions are likely to blame, according to officials.

TagsBeijing Air Pollution, China Air Pollution, Beijing Air Quality