The average concentration of PM 2.5 — hazardous fine particles — in Beijing reached a record low of 34 micrograms per cubic meter last month, the city's environmental protection authority said.

It was the capital's first month in autumn and winter without a single day of severe air pollution since 2013.

The concentration was 4 mcg/cu m lower than the previous record low, which occurred in August, the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau said.

The improvement in the air quality is due to government efforts to improve pollution control in Beijing and surrounding regions, as well as favorable meteorological conditions, which caused pollutants to disperse.