High winds warning for weekend

China's top meteorologist has asked city governments to reinforce outdoor advertising and secure construction site materials as another round of strong winds is predicted to sweep through most parts of the country at the weekend.

He also called for all water activities to be suspended.

Winds of between 34 to 44 kilometers per hour are forecast across China while parts of Xinjiang, Ningxia, Gansu and Inner Mongolia may face sudden gales of up to 87 km/h, said Yang Guiming, chief weather forecaster of the National Meteorological Center.

The warning comes following the strong winds that hit Beijing on March 23, causing damage to people and property, and delays to high-speed trains and flights.

"The strong gales are temporary and will end before Saturday," Yang said. "Dust and sand are likely to be seen in parts of Beijing, Xinjiang, Gansu and Inner Mongolia."

Temperatures will also drop dramatically, bringing rains and snow to central and eastern parts of the country, and thunder storms to southern parts. However, they would bring little relief to the drought in Yunnan province, Yang said.

Temperatures in Beijing reached a high of 21 C on Wednesday and are predicted to plummet to 12 C over the coming weekend, according to the National Meteorological Center.

The recent variation in temperature is being blamed for many people becoming sick in Beijing.

"Nearly 30 percent of my colleagues in the office caught cold over the weekend," said Liu Yi, who works in the China Science and Technology Museum.

A doctor named Yao at Peking University Third Hospital said: "More children seem to have been to the hospital for cold and other diseases, but we've no statistics on that period."

The meteorological center also warned health authorities to be prepared for a potential increase in patient numbers following the sudden temperature drop.

China experienced the coldest winter this year since 1986 with the average temperature about 1 C below that of the past 30 years, according to statistics released by the China Meteorological Administration.

Ren Guofu, chief engineer of the National Climate Center, blamed the unusually cold winter on abnormal atmospheric circulation.