Beijing's Air Pollution is Frightening. This Video Shows Just How Bad It Gets

Winters in Beijing are grim. It’s not just the subzero temperatures and shortened days that feel so oppressive; the year-end chill means even more coal is burned for heating, blanketing the Chinese capital in thick smog.

City authorities this week issued their first pollution “red alert” of 2016 — the highest level of warning. It is forecast to last five days.