China renews blue alert for sandstorms

BEIJING, March 30 (Xinhua) -- China's national observatory on Tuesday renewed a blue alert for sandstorms.

During the daytime on Tuesday, floating sand and dust are expected to sweep parts of Xinjiang, Qinghai, Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Henan, Anhui and Jiangsu, the National Meteorological Center forecast.

The eastern part of Xinjiang will be hit by sandstorms, the center said.

It has advised the public to take precautions against the heavy winds and floating sand and dust, and suggested that drivers prepare for poor visibility.

Fewer areas will be affected by floating sand and dust Tuesday night due to precipitation.

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