China issues blue alert for sandstorm
China's national observatory issued a blue alert for sandstorms in parts of the country's northwest regions from Tuesday to Wednesday.
Affected by cold fronts and heavy winds, floating sand and dust are expected to hit some areas in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and the provinces of Gansu and Shaanxi, according to the National Meteorological Center.
Some regions in Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia will see severe sandstorms, the center said.
China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system for sandstorms with red representing the most severe, followed by orange, yellow, and blue.