QINGDAO -- China has maintained a sea ice alert for Liaodong Bay in northeast China's Bohai Sea as the ice grew by nearly 5,000 square km daily.

On Saturday, 14,608 square km of sea ice was recorded in Liaodong Bay, increasing 4,727 square km from a day earlier, taking up 47.74 percent of the bay area.

The National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center (NMEFC) of China maintained a blue alert for the sea ice.

According to the center, the declining water temperature in northern sea areas caused by a cold wave in late January has contributed to the expansion of the ice, while the direction of the cold front led to more drifting ice.

The NMEFC forecast that the ice will remain for the next three days. Experts warn that the quick freezing and de-freezing of sea ice may affect coastal residents and enterprises.

China has a four-tier warning system for sea ice, with red being the most serious, followed by orange, yellow and blue.