China continues yellow alert for fog

BEIJING -- China's national observatory on Friday renewed a yellow alert for fog that will shroud parts of the country.

Thick fog enveloped the provinces of Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Jiangsu and Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Friday morning, with visibility in parts of these regions to be reduced to less than 50 meters, the National Meteorological Center said in a statement on its website.

The center suggested drivers in affected regions slow down, while airports, expressways and ports take appropriate safety measures.

China has a three-tier color-coded warning system for fog, with red being the most serious, followed by orange and yellow.

The center also forecast that southern China will brace for rainy and snowy weather over the next three days.

Heavy rain will likely hit parts of Jiangxi, Guangdong and Fujian provinces from Friday to Saturday, while parts of Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou and Hubei will see snow or sleet during the coming three days.