BEIJING -- China's meteorological authorities issued a yellow alert for heavy snowstorms on Wednesday.

The National Meteorological Center (NMC) said snowstorms would hit parts of Henan, Hubei, Shandong, Jiangsu and Anhui provinces, with up to 8 centimeters of new snow expected.

The center advised residents to stay indoors and urged local authorities to take precautions with roads, railways, electricity and telecommunications.

The observatory maintained a blue alert for a cold wave Wednesday as the cold front continues to bring down temperatures in central and eastern China.

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