China to brace for cold wave and strong gales

China's meteorological authority on Friday issued a blue alert for cold wave, as most parts of China will see drastic temperature drops and strong gales.

From Friday to Tuesday next week, areas in Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Hebei, Beijing, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai and Heilongjiang, will experience temperature drops of up to 16 degrees Celsius, said the National Meteorological Center (NMC).

The cold wave will bring strong gales to areas along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and eastern coastal areas, according to the NMC.

The center advised the public to take precautions against the cold weather and strong winds.

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