China issues blue alert for sandstorms on Wednesday

China's national observatory has issued a blue alert for sandstorms in parts of the country from Wednesday morning until Thursday morning.

Under the influence of cold fronts and heavy winds, floating sand and dust are expected to hit some parts of Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Beijing, Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang, according to the National Meteorological Center.

Southern Xinjiang, western Inner Mongolia and the Hexi Corridor area in Gansu will be hit by sandstorms and some places will experience strong sandstorms.

People have been advised to take precautions against the wind and sandstorms, and drivers have been asked to prepare for poor visibility.

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