Using "indescribable weather condition" as a euphemism for smog, a Chinese weather app has made use of such phrases to mock the ban by China’s meteorological authorities from releasing smog alerts. The posts have become viral since being posted by the weather app.
Last week, the Chinese government issued an internal memo, telling meteorological offices to stop issuing smog warnings immediately.
Chinese state media reported that the removal of the early warning alert system was necessary because of disagreements between China's Environmental Protection agency and local weather authority forecasts.
Tianqitong, the Chinese weather app, posted on its Weibo account on Monday a sugar-coated description of the country's smog problem as a condition in which "the sky would turn gray from blue."
"The indescribable weather in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region will gradually dissipate starting Thursday," said the account.
"Indescribable weather condition" became viral among Chinese citizens and quickly became a meme. Netizens poked fun about how their lives might become "indescribable" under the "weather condition." Other netizens felt like they are living in a "magical kingdom" where people only talk in secret jargon.
The Chinese Meteorological Administration and the Ministry of Environmental Protection have yet to decide which department should release the alerts and establish a unified standard to measure the severity of the smog.
While the Chinese government creates measures to battle the smog problem, it seems that the citizens are not satisfied with mere lip service from its officials. Citizens have also expressed their discontent offline.
A collective of Chengdu-based artists have put smog masks on statues to represent the country's worsening problem that remains unresolved. With the lack of effective solutions, constant pollution has worn out public patience and continues to corrode government credibility.
If the government is sincere in solving the smog problem, it must come up with solutions fast especially as the public's patience is wearing thin.