BEIJING -- China's national observatory renewed a blue alert for sandstorms on Thursday in northwestern parts of the country.

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

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

People have been advised to take precautions against wind and sandstorms, and drivers have been asked to prepare for poor visibility.

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