Blizzards to hit parts of northern China

BEIJING - The cold wave that has swept northwestern China is moving eastward and is expected to bring blizzards to parts of northern China, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) forecast on Saturday.

Heavy snow will hit Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Shanxi and the mountainous areas in western Beijing, according to a posting on the NMC website.

The NMC has issued a blue warning on blizzards for Saturday, the lowest level in disaster alarm after yellow, orange and red.

In the coming two days, temperatures will drop up to 10 degrees Celsius in eastern Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, southwestern Liaoning, Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Anhui, Jiangsu, Hubei, northwestern Hunan and northern Zhejiang.

The public are advised to keep warm amid temperature drops and related departments should guard against disasters brought by blizzards and freezing, the forecast said.

Citizens walk at a park after snow hit Baotou city, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Nov 3, 2012. A cold wave hit northern parts of China these days, bringing snow to Inner Mongolia.[Photo/Xinhua]