BEIJING, Nov. 24 -- China's national observatory on Friday renewed a blue alert for gales as strong winds of varying degrees are to lash parts of the country.

From 8 a.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Saturday, gales will hit some areas in Gansu and Qinghai provinces as well as the Xizang Autonomous Region, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) said.

The gales will be more intense in parts of the Taiwan Strait, the Bashi Channel and the South China Sea during this period, according to the NMC.

The NMC has alerted ships navigating and operating in sea areas affected by the strong winds of safety risks.

Relevant departments have been called upon to prevent fires in forests, grasslands and urban areas, as well as to ensure transport security.

China has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system for strong winds, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.