BEIJING -- China's national observatory on Saturday issued a yellow alert for sandstorms in the northern part of the country.

From Saturday to 8 am Sunday, floating sand and dust are expected to sweep parts of Xinjiang, Qinghai, Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Liaoning and Jilin, the National Meteorological Center forecast.

Some regions in Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin and Liaoning will be hit by 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 color-coded weather warning system for sandstorms with red representing the most severe, followed by orange, yellow, and blue.