Heilongjiang issues emergency response for blizzard

HARBIN - Northeast China's Heilongjiang province on Tuesday issued a level-IV emergency response, the lowest in China's four-tier emergency response system, as a blizzard battled the province.

Multiple highways have been shut down as heavy snow and blizzards hit the middle and eastern parts of the province since Monday afternoon, according to local authorities.

Local meteorological agencies forecast that heavy snow and blizzards will continue to hit most parts of the province till Wednesday, and warned against its impact on tourism, transport, agriculture and animal husbandry.

China's meteorological authority issued a blue alert for heavy snowstorms in the northern region Sunday.

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