China renews blue alert for cold wave

BEIJING, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- China's meteorological authority on Friday renewed a blue alert for a cold wave, forecasting low temperatures and gales in vast regions of the country.

From 8 a.m. Friday to 8 p.m. Saturday, temperatures are expected to drop by 6 to 8 degrees Celsius in central and east China, according to the National Meteorological Center.

Some areas could see a temperature drop of more than 12 degrees Celsius, according to the center.

The center advised the public to take precautions against the cold weather and strong winds and suggested traffic and police authorities prepare for icy road conditions.

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