China renews yellow alert for sandstorms

BEIJING -- China's national observatory on Thursday morning renewed a yellow alert for sandstorms in the northern parts of the country.

From 8 am Thursday to 8 am Friday, drifting sand and dust are expected to blow across parts of Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shandong, Henan, Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning, according to the National Meteorological Center.

Some areas in Inner Mongolia will even experience sandstorms, the center said.

People have been advised to take precautions against wind and sandstorms, and drivers have been asked to prepare for poor visibility.

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