(BEIJING, November 1) -- Beijing achieved 26 "blue sky days" in the past 31 days in October, a significant increase of 8 days over the same period last year, according to the municipal environmental watchdog.

There were nine level 1 blue sky days (air pollution index [API] of 0-50) and 17 level 2 blue sky days (API of 51-100), both breaking the capital's exsiting meteorologic records. The number of "blue sky days" also broke an eight-year record set in 2000.

Due to favorable weather conditions and efforts by local environmental protection organs, the sky is much clearer than it was the same time last year, said the watch dog.

Beijing has had 212 "blue sky days" of level 1 and 2 air quality as of the end of October, and 33 more such days are still needed to fulfill the "blue sky" target of 245 blue sky days in 2007.