China issues sandstorm alert

Beijing -  China has issued a blue alert, the lowest level in the warning system, against sandstorms that are expected to hit the country's northwest regions.

The National Meteorological Center (NMC) said that some parts of Xinjiang Uygur, Inner Mongolia and Ningxia regions, as well as central and western parts of Gansu province will see  duststorms from Sunday to Monday.

The authorities warned residents in the affected areas to be prepared for the sandstorm and wear dust-proof masks, Xinhua reported. China has a four-colour coded warning system, with  the red being the most serious and followed by orange, yellow and blue.