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People hold their umbrellas as they walk in Beijing, capital of China, April 4, 2018. Beijing's meteorological authorities issued a blue alert for a heavy snowstorm on Wednesday afternoon. China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue. (Xinhua/Luo Xiaoguang)

BEIJING, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Beijing's meteorological authorities issued a blue alert for a heavy snowstorm on Wednesday afternoon.

According to the forecast by Beijing meteorological observatory, moderate or heavy snow will hit most of the city from Wednesday afternoon to night. Western and northern areas are expected to see blizzards.

The observatory warned that the snow will affect transportation during rush hours, and asked local authorities to be prepared for possible damage to crops, plants and livestock.

On Wednesday afternoon, neighboring Tianjin Municipality and Hebei Province were also hit by snow.

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