BEIJING — China's meteorological authorities issued a blue alert for heavy snow in some regions of the country on Jan 26.

From the morning of Jan 26 to the morning of Jan 27, snowstorms would hit parts of Gansu, Shaanxi, Henan and Hubei, with 3 to 6 centimeters of snowfall expected, said the National Meteorological Center.

In some areas, snowstorms are expected to drop over 8 centimeters of snow, it warned.

The center advised residents to stay indoors and urged local authorities to take precautions with roads, railways, electricity and telecommunications.

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