Dense fog on 2 February delayed or cancelled more than 700 ships in the mouth of the Yangtze River. Visibility was less than 1,000 metres and in some areas below 100 metres, according to Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration. Sixty-six of the vessels were for international shipping, most of them in harbour at Waigaoqiao and Yangshan terminals. More than 2,000 vessels pass through Shanghai every day.

On the morning of the same day, fog also caused the closure of Shuangliu International Airport in Chengdu, resulting in 10 flights being cancelled and another 121 being delayed. This was the third closure of the airport in a month due to fog. The previous closures, which occurred in the second half of January, affected nearly 200 flights and stranded more than 15,000 passengers.

The airport is one of the busiest transport and distribution centres in southwest China.