BEIJING, March 1 (Xinhua)-- The National Meteorological Center (NMC) on Sunday issued a blue alert for dusty weather that will choke northwest China.

The NMC forecasted that a strong cold front will sweep northwest China on Monday, bringing strong wind and dusty weather to Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Ningxia and Shaanxi. Some regions will even see sandstorm.

The weather observatory advised residents to stay indoors and asked local authorities to brace for it.

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