Thunderstorms help clear the air in Beijing

Beijing woke to a cool but overcast morning on day three of the Olympics yesterday after thunderstorms cleared the haze that shrouded the city last week.

The comfortable weather lasted through the day, and the temperature only managed to climb as high as 27 C.

Air quality was also good, as had been previously forecast. The municipal environmental protection bureau reported that the air pollution index for Beijing remained below 50, indicating good air quality.