China issues blue alert for cold wave

BEIJING -- China's meteorological authority on Monday renewed a blue alert, the lowest level in a four-tier warning system, for a cold front in some central, southern and northeastern regions.

From Monday to Tuesday, the temperature is expected to drop by 6 to 8 degrees Celsius in central, southern, and northeastern China, including parts of Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia and Yunnan.

Parts of Fujian, Guangdong, Yunnan, Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces will see a decrease of over 10 degrees Celsius, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) said.

Most of northeast China will experience low to moderate snowfall.

From 8 a.m Monday to 8 a.m Tuesday, heavy rain or rainstorms are expected in northern Guangdong, central and southern Fujian and southern Jiangxi.

The low temperatures and freezing weather will be harmful to agricultural facilities, animal husbandry, energy, transportation and human health, and the NMC cautioned that residents should wear more to keep warm and take measures against the cold weather.

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