Beijing, China, August 15, 2008—A rare day of blue skies serves as a backdrop for the Beijing National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, during the ongoing 2008 Summer Olympics.

In the run-up to the games, China closed factories and restricted cars to cut air pollution, but smoggy skies and high humidity dogged the first few days of the games.

Heavy rains on Thursday cleared away much of the haze, giving Beijing its first truly sunny day since the opening ceremonies and dropping the air pollution index to 17—the lowest recorded since July, according to the Associated Press.

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