Light rain on Tuesday is expected to disperse the four-day heavy air pollution in Beijing, according to the local meteorological station.

 

"Influenced by a cold front, Beijing is likely to witness light rain and sleet on Tuesday and followed by strong wind on Wednesday," said a meteorologist at the station.

 

Floating dust coming from north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region continued to haunt Beijing on Monday, with the visibility of about two to three kilometers, said a source with the local environment monitoring center.

 

The content of particulate matter in the air still stood at 500 microgram per cubic meter in every hour, said the center.

 

The latest floating dust hit the national capital on April 7, driving the content of particulate matter in the air up from 180 to 500.

 

Beijing's environmental protection authorities have intensified the efforts to clear up streets with water and suspended earthwork on construction sites in a bid to reduce the influence of floating dust on the life and health of local residents.

 

Beijing has suffered from air quality level IV, or poor air pollution with the pollution reading of between 201 and 300, and level V, or hazardous air pollution with the pollution reading of over 301, for 13 days by April 10, four days more than the polluted whether in 2005.

 

(Xinhua News Agency April 11, 2006)