The meteorological authorities have said it will no longer release separate smog alerts to avoid contradicting information from environmental authorities.

Provincial and city weather bureaus received a notice from the top authority telling them to stop issuing forecasts for smog levels, according to a picture shared on Sina Weibo on Tuesday evening.

An official at the China Meteorological Administration, who did not want to be named, confirmed the notice on Wednesday, saying it was an internal document and has not been released publicly.