China's meteorological authorities on Tuesday issued a blue alert for heavy snow in the northern regions, the first warning for a blizzard this winter.

The National Meteorological Center (NMC) said snowstorms are likely to hit parts of Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia and Hebei from Tuesday evening to Wednesday evening, with 5 to 12 centimeters of new snow expected.

Blizzards are expected to drop snow of up to 15 centimeters in some areas, it said.

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. Enditem