BEIJING, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- Heavy air pollution is likely in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and some of its neighboring provinces over the weekend, the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) warned Friday.

The smog is forecast to last from Feb. 26 to Feb. 28 and will affect Beijing, Tianjin and parts of Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong and Henan provinces.

The MEP is inspecting the weather response plans of 18 cities to review their emergency measures.

Cities that fail the inspection will be named and shamed, according to Chen Jining, minister of environmental protection, who added that the ministry will help local governments plan and implement air pollution tracking and research systems.

The smog will gradually disperse when a cold front arrives on March 1.