Harbin, Nov 25 (IANS): China's Heilongjiang Province activated a red alert for blizzards at 11 a.m. on Monday, warning heavy snowfall reaching up to 55 millimetres over a 12-hour period.

According to the provincial meteorological authorities, it is expected that from 2 a.m. on Tuesday to 2 a.m. on Wednesday, several areas across Heilongjiang will experience snowfall, with newly added snow depth projected to be between 15 and 40 centimetres, Xinhua news agency reported.

The provincial capital city of Harbin also issued a blue alert for strong wind and a yellow alert for a cold wave on Monday. Most parts of the city are expected to see a sharp temperature drop of 10 to 12 degrees Celsius in terms of its minimum temperature during 8 a.m. Tuesday and 8 a.m. Wednesday.

The minimum temperature at night on Tuesday in Harbin will even reach minus 12 to minus 10 degrees Celsius, according to the local weather forecast.

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