China renews blue alert for cold wave, strong winds

BEIJING -- China's National Meteorological Center renewed a blue alert for a cold wave on Sunday as the country braces for cold fronts.

On Feb 22 and 23, temperatures are expected to fall by 6 to 10 degrees Celsius across regions including North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, the northeast China provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning, as well as Jiangsu province in east China. In parts of Heilongjiang and Jilin, temperatures could plummet by more than 12 degrees Celsius.

The center urged relevant departments to prepare for both the cold wave and strong winds, while also implementing protective measures for tropical crops and aquatic products in affected regions.

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