BEIJING - China's meteorological authorities said Monday that central and east China will be shrouded in fog through Tuesday morning.

The National Meteorological Center (NMC) issued a blue alert for the fog.

Blue is the lowest level in China's four-tier color-coded weather alert system.

Fog will lower visibility to less than 1,000 meters in parts of Tianjin municipality and the provinces of Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi, Henan, Jiangsu and Anhui, with visibility dipping as low as 200 meters in some areas, according to a statement on the center's website.

The NMC also said that a cold front will sweep most parts of north China from Wednesday to Thursday, bringing strong winds and dropping temperatures by 6 to 10 degrees Celsius.