Beijing issues catkins forecast北京发布杨柳飞絮预报Beijing's municipal government issued this year's first forecast for catkins on Monday to help related departments deal with the fuzzy mess and remind the public to take necessary prevention measures.

4月5日，北京市发布今年首个杨柳飞絮预报，目的是指导政府各相关部门开展防控工作，提醒公众采取必要防护措施。

As the week begins, the capital's downtown and southern parts will see willow and poplar catkins wafting through the air, and the city's northeastern areas will start to face the problem a bit later, between Wednesday and Saturday, according to the forecast jointly published by the Beijing Gardening and Greening Bureau and the city's weather bureau.

北京市园林绿化局和北京市气象局联合发布的预报显示，自本周起，北京中心城区和南部城区率先进入杨柳飞絮期，城区东北部稍晚，于4月7日至10日开始飞絮。

Zhang Bo, senior engineer at the greening bureau, said Beijing usually sees masses of catkins blowing throughout the city, mostly within the Fifth Ring Road, between early April and late May.

"The peak time lasts for around a week," he said.

"Between 10 am and 4 pm, the situation is worse than other periods during the day.

"市园林绿化局科技处高级工程师张博表示，每年四月初至五月末，北京会进入杨柳飞絮期，主要影响五环内城区，飞絮高发期可持续一周左右时间，尤其是在每天的上午10点至下午4点，比其它时段飞絮更为严重。

The greening bureau encourages people to wear masks, sunglasses or shawls to protect themselves during the catkins period.

北京市园林绿化局建议人们在飞絮期间外出时佩戴口罩、墨镜、纱巾等防护用品。

People who exercise outdoors should do so in the mornings or evenings, or after rain, when there will be fewer catkins, the bureau said.

进行户外锻炼等室外活动尽量选择在早晨、傍晚或雨后等飞絮较轻的时段。

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