China's national observatory on Monday issued a yellow alert for sandstorms in the northern part of the country. Starting from Monday to 8 a.m. Tuesday, affected by cold fronts and heavy winds, floating sand and dust are expected to sweep parts of Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Beijing and Tianjin, Xinhua news agency quoted the National Meteorological Center as saying in a forecast. Some regions in Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Shaanxi and Shanxi will be hit by strong sandstorms, the center said. It has advised the public to take precautions against the heavy winds and sandstorms, and suggested that drivers prepare for poor visibility. China has a four-tier colour-coded weather warning system for sandstorms with red representing the most severe, followed by orange, yellow, and blue. (IANS)