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SYDNEY, Dec. 3-- The Australian city of Sydney was once again blanketed in dense smoke on Tuesday as nearby bushfires filled the air with hazardous smog, prompting locals to wonder when they will see the sky again. Over the past month Sydney has come to resemble one of the world's most polluted cities rather than the blue-skied coastal haven it is internationally known to be. So far in November and December of this year alone, the city has experienced more hazardous air quality readings than in the past five fire seasons combined. "We're experiencing much higher levels (of particle matter) than what we normally have in Sydney and really lots of part of New South Wales State (NSW)," Christine Cowie, senior fellow at the Center for Air Pollution, Energy and Health Research at the University of New South Wales told Xinhua. On Tuesday it was two large fires in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney which blocked out the sky, deteriorating air quality as the smoke drifted east and settled over the harbor city. Health authorities warned vulnerable people, such as those with pre-existing respiratory conditions, young people and the elderly, to avoid being outdoors where possible. However Cowie said that exposure to high levels of particle matter in the air could have effects beyond those with respiratory issues. "These fine particles can penetrate deeply into our lungs and they can also cross into the blood system and affect other organs in our body," Cowie said. | 
