China renews yellow alert for sandstorms

BEIJING, March 22 (Xinhua) -- China's national observatory on Wednesday renewed a yellow alert for sandstorms in several areas across China from 8 a.m. Wednesday to 8 a.m. Thursday.

Floating sand and dust are expected to hit some areas in Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Shandong, Henan, Jiangsu, Anhui and Hubei, according to the National Meteorological Center.

Some regions in Inner Mongolia, Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei will see sandstorms and even strong sandstorms, said the center.

The center has advised the public to take precautions against floating sand and dust, to close doors and windows in time, to wear facemasks, and suggested that drivers should prepare for poor visibility.

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