China Weather Update: Heavy snow to hit parts of northern China

Heavy snowfall will sweep parts of northern China on Saturday and Sunday, bringing low temperatures, Chinese media reported citing National Meteorological Center.

"From Saturday morning to Sunday morning, heavy snow to blizzard are expected to hit parts of Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Liaoning, Shaanxi and Henan," Xinhua reported.

Some areas will see the depth of snow up to 20 centimetres, said the state-run press agency.

The observatory urged the affected areas to take necessary precautions with regard to traffic, transport and energy supplies.

Meanwhile, China on Friday was forced to close highways and school playgrounds in the capital city of Beijing due to heavy pollution.

This comes as China ramps up coal production and faces scrutiny of its environmental record at international climate talks.

The Beijing municipal government has issued a yellow alert for heavy air pollution which came into force from 4 pm Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported. Under the country's warning system for air pollution, red is the most severe warning. This is followed by orange, yellow and blue.

According to the city's weather authorities, unfavourable weather conditions are blamed for the smog blanketing Beijing and neighbouring regions from Wednesday to Saturday.

(ANI)