China issues yellow alert for sandstorms

Buildings and streets are seen shrouded in dust in Beijing, capital of China, March 15, 2021. Floating dust hit Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

BEIJING, March 15 (Xinhua) -- China's national observatory on Monday issued a yellow alert for sandstorms in the northern part of the country.

Starting from Monday to 8 a.m. Tuesday, affected by cold fronts and heavy winds, floating sand and dust are expected to sweep parts of Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Beijing and Tianjin, forecast the National Meteorological Center.

Some regions in Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Shaanxi and Shanxi will be hit by strong sandstorms, the center said.

The center has advised the public to take precautions against the heavy winds and sandstorms, and suggested that drivers prepare for poor visibility.

China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system for sandstorms with red representing the most severe, followed by orange, yellow, and blue.