Heavy fog blanketed the northeastern province of Liaoning overnight, closing highways and delaying flights on Tuesday.

In Shenyang, capital of Liaoning Province, more than 20 flights that had been delayed started to take off at around 10 AM on Tuesday, according to the Taoxian International Airport.

The fog, which reduced visibility to 50 meters on Tuesday morning, had virtually closed the airport, with no departures or arrivals before 9:40 AM, said officials with the airport.

Xu Yang, a resident of Shenyang, described the fog as the densest she had seen in more than two decades.

"When I got up this morning and looked out the window, I could barely see in the buildings opposite ours less than 100 meters away," said Xu.

Heavy fog also forced the closure of highways linking most cities in the province with Beijing and Harbin, provincial capital of Heilongjiang Province, leaving more than 50 bus services canceled or delayed, according to the provincial highway administration.

Shenyang weather observatory said the fog was expected to disperse around noon on Tuesday. Motorists were advised to slow down and residents advised to stay indoors as the foggy weather could trigger respiratory problems.

(Xinhua News Agency April 8, 2008)