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Wind, Rain Clears Beijing Air Ahead of Olympics

fter days of hazy, dark skies raised concerns about pollution levels during the Olympics, wind and rain helped clear Beijing's air Tuesday and officials hoped it will stay for the games' start next week. The heavy haze was among the worst seen in Beijing in the past month, despite drastic pollution controls put in force July 20 that included pulling half the city's 3.3 million vehicles off the roads.

     It is not known how much the measures, which also included halting most construction and closing some factories in the capital and surrounding provinces, have helped.

     Du Shaozhong, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau, told reporters that the air quality had greatly improved in July compared to the same month last year.

     Since July 1, all pollutants have been reduced by 15 to 20 percent, Du said. There have been 25 days of clean air in July, he said, two more than the same period last year.

     Du also confirmed that Beijing could institute emergency measures if air pollution worsens during the games, and said a contingency plan was already in place.

     The official China Daily newspaper said Monday that Beijing could pull more cars from the roads and shut down additional factories as part of contingency measures if air quality worsens during the Olympics.

     Beijing's air quality should improve over the next few days, said Zhai Xiaohui, a spokeswoman for the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau.

     While the government's measures have helped, she said, weather is also important.

     ``One other major factor is that the air flow has been better with windy and rainy weather conditions. It helps pollutants to dissipate,'' she said.

     The National Meteorological Center said that rain is forecast for the next few days in Beijing.

     The city's chronic air pollution has been a source of concern for Olympic organizers. The games, which will bring 10,500 athletes and hundreds of thousands of spectators to Beijing, open on Aug. 8.

     The air pollution index dropped to 90 from 96 Monday, after reaching 118 on Saturday, a level classified as unhealthy for sensitive groups. An API below 50 is considered good and between 51 to 100 is moderate, the bureau said.

     Critics say moderate levels are still above the World Health Organization's guidelines for healthy air.

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     Associated Press reporter Chi-Chi Zhang contributed to this story.

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