AQI levels pass 300 in parts of China's Beijing

In China's capital Beijing, a heavy blanket of smog continues to shroud the city. The local air control authority has issued a yellow air alert and urged residents to stay indoors for their safety.

On Monday afternoon, Beijing's Air Quality Index, or AQI, hit as high as 3 hundred and 18, with anything over 3 hundred considered a serious level of pollution. In some parts of city, visibility was less than 2 kilometers and local air alerts were upgraded to orange.

Beijing has a four-tier alert system. A red alert indicates AQI readings above 300 for three consecutive days. An orange alert indicates heavy to serious air pollution with an AQI rating of between 200 and 300 for three consecutive days.