China renews orange alert for blizzards

BEIJING -- On Sunday, China's meteorological authority renewed an orange alert for snowstorms in some regions of the country.

From Sunday morning to Monday morning, heavy snow will hit parts of Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu and Shandong, with snowfall expected to reach 2 to 5 cm, the National Meteorological Center said.

The meteorological center advised authorities to be aware of the impact of extensive snow and freezing weather during the ongoing Spring Festival travel rush, in which hundreds of millions of people return home to reunite with their friends and families.

Pedestrians and drivers have been advised to be extra careful during the snowy weather and local authorities have been instructed to take precautionary measures concerning roads, railways, electricity and telecommunications.

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