Smog could become thick over weekend

A new spell of smog is expected to begin on Friday night and affect areas like Beijing, which experienced heavy pollution last week.

The smog will continue until Sunday night, when the north wind will disperse the pollutants, the National Meteorological Center said on Thursday.

It will affect central and northern parts of the country, including Beijing and Tianjin, as well as Hebei, Shanxi, Henan and Shandong provinces, said Zhang Fanghua, the center's chief forecaster.