Yesterday, pedestrians across Hefei shared the same impression: a hazy, murky atmosphere with noticeably poor air quality. According to the AQI release platform on the official website of the Hefei Environmental Protection Bureau, at 15:00 that day, all ten monitoring stations in the provincial capital showed "severe pollution," displayed in brown. AQI readings were all above 200, with the highest at Hubin Mountain Villa reaching 270, while the lowest at Dongpu Reservoir was still 208. Li Jing, deputy director of the Hefei Environmental Monitoring Center Station, advised: "This is a typical case of hazy weather. The elderly and children should reduce outdoor activities."
Hefei experiences four consecutive days of 'pollution'
During the New Year’s holiday, thanks to rain and snow cleansing the air, Hefei enjoyed "good" to "excellent" air quality. However, starting from the 6th, due to dry air, and the absence of wind or precipitation, pollutants became difficult to disperse, causing the air quality to "change face"—shifting from green and yellow to red and brown. On the 6th and 7th, the pollution level was classified as "light," but on the 8th it worsened to "moderate." There had been hopes for rain or snow yesterday to once again purify the air, but those hopes were dashed as the precipitation did not arrive, and the air continued to deteriorate. At 15:00 that day, the real-time reporting system (displaying data from one hour prior, i.e., 14:00) showed that AQI levels at all ten monitoring stations in the city exceeded 200, all categorized as "severe pollution."
No wind, rain or snow will make relief difficult
Meanwhile, major nearby cities such as Nanjing and Shanghai also reported "light pollution" or "moderate pollution." "The entire East China region is experiencing this condition, which is a classic case of hazy weather," Li Jing from the Hefei Environmental Monitoring Center Station told reporters. Data from various monitoring sources indicated that the primary pollutant was inhalable particulate matter PM2.5. The latest weather forecast shows that there will be no significant rainfall or strong winds in Hefei over the next few days. Li Jing stated that without the arrival of cold air, and in the absence of notable precipitation or wind, the "pollution" situation is unlikely to improve. According to new standards, when air quality reaches the level of severe pollution, symptoms in heart and lung disease patients significantly worsen, exercise tolerance decreases, and healthy individuals generally begin to experience discomfort. In such conditions, children, the elderly, and people with heart or lung diseases should stay indoors and avoid outdoor exercise, while the general public should reduce outdoor activities.