Provinces in China issue a thick fog warning, delaying many flights from Shanghai.
Severe fog engulfed various provinces in China on Thursday, leading to perilously low visibility, the closure of highways, flight delays in Shanghai, and a series of warnings from weather forecasters.
China's National Meteorological Centre reported dense fog affecting Shandong, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Fujian provinces, with visibility dropping below 200 meters (656 feet). Additionally, certain areas in southern Jiangsu and southern Anhui experienced visibility below 50 meters.
The Central Meteorological Observatory issued yellow and orange warnings for heavy fog until 7:45 a.m. (2345 GMT), predicting continued haze in many regions through Friday. Some parts of Anhui issued red warnings, the most severe advisory level, resulting in the temporary closure of numerous highways, as reported by state media broadcaster CCTV News. Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province, experienced significant disruptions in public transportation due to extreme fog.
China employs a three-tier color-coded warning system for dense fog, with red indicating the highest severity, followed by orange and yellow.
The fog wreaked havoc on flights departing from Shanghai Pudong International Airport, causing numerous delays and diversions over the past three hours, according to FlightView.com's flight tracking app. A Reuters witness on a flight from Shanghai to Harbin reported substantial delays, with the frustration evident in the passenger's description of the situation and a photo capturing the dense grey mist outside the plane window covered in raindrops.
