Thunderstorms help clear the Beijing air by Steph Ball
Heavy rain and thunderstorms which drenched the capital Beijing on Sunday continued into Monday, helping to clear the air and bringing more comfortable conditions for the Olympic competitors.
Pollution has been a major worry in the run up to the Olympics. The Beijing Government has gone to extraordinary lengths to remedy the problem by closing down factories and moving as many as 2 million vehicles off the roads.
On Saturday the air pollution index was recorded as 94 for the opening day of competition, where below 50 is considered healthy air. An index of over 100 is considered to be harmful to some people. On Saturday a third of cyclists dropped out of the men’s road race unable to cope with the hot and stuffy conditions.
Some relief arrived Sunday in the form of heavy rain and thunderstorms, though some events experienced delays or had to be re-scheduled. Beijing woke to clearer conditions on Monday and lower temperatures, with the haze having cleared. Pollution levels taken on Monday indicated that the pollution index had more than halved, dropping to 38.
Scattered showers over the next few days should help to maintain the lower pollution levels. However, it will remain hot with highs near 29 or 30C (84-86F) and with relatively high humidity.
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