BEIJING, March 7 -- China's weather observatory on Saturday issued a yellow alert for smog that is expected to hit the country's capital of Beijing and neighboring regions.

The cities of Beijing, Tianjin, as well parts of Hebei and Shandong provinces will be shrouded by smog from Saturday to Sunday, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) forecasted.

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

After experiencing frequent bouts of smog, the Chinese public has become increasingly sensitive to the health hazard. To address public concerns, the government aims to cut the density of inhalable particulate matter by at least 10 percent in major cities by 2017.

Meanwhile, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Gansu province and Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region will see dusty weather from Saturday to Sunday, according to the NMC.