JINAN, Dec 7 -- Coastal areas in East China's Shandong province are expected to be battered by a blizzard and gales over the weekend, local meteorological authorities said on Friday afternoon.

The meteorological observatories of the cities of Yantai and Weihai issued orange alerts, the second most serious level of warning, for blizzards, and yellow alerts for strong winds.

China has a four-color-coded warning system for extreme weather, with red being the most serious, followed by orange, yellow and blue.

Temperatures will continue to drop and some inland regions may see the minimum temperature of minus nine degrees Celsius, according to the local meteorological department.

Passenger ships departing from the port city of Yantai for Dalian in northeast China's Liaoning Province have been suspended as of 6 pm on Friday and services are expected to resume on Sunday, according to the Yantai Maritime Affairs Administration.