BEIJING, April 26 -- China's national observatory issued a blue alert for sandstorms in northern and northwestern parts of the country.

From Friday evening to Saturday evening, floating sand and dust are expected to hit some parts of Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu and Inner Mongolia, according to the National Meteorological Center.

Some parts of Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia will even experience sandstorms, the center said.

People have been advised to take precautions against wind and sandstorms.

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