Northern regions brace for air pollution during Spring Festival holiday

BEIJING -- Vast parts of China will be hit by air pollution at the beginning of the weeklong Spring Festival holiday, the country's environmental authority said.

Due to unfavorable meteorological conditions and festive fireworks, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region is expected to be shrouded in heavy pollution on Chinese New Year's Eve, according to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

The ministry forecast that air pollution in the region will begin dispersing from the second day of the holiday.

Meanwhile, some areas in the provinces of Jilin and Liaoning in Northeast China will see light and moderate air pollution in the first two days of the holiday.

Moderate to heavy pollution will also persist through the first three days of the holiday in some parts of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, the ministry said.