Cold front to chill central, east China

A cold front will sweep China's central and eastern regions over the next three days, bringing lower temperatures and strong winds, the country's meteorological authorities forecast Sunday.

The cold front will lower temperatures by 4 to 8 degrees Celsius in central and east China from Sunday evening to Tuesday, the National Meteorological Center said.

Some areas in Inner Mongolia autonomous region, northeastern provinces, as well as provinces of Henan, Anhui and Shandong, will experience gales, the center said.

Affected by the cold front, moderate snow, rain or sleet will fall in regions along the Yangtze and Hanjiang rivers, as well as Anhui province, it said.

Meanwhile, southern regions, including areas south of the Yangtze and Hanjiang rivers, are expected to see moderate or heavy rain from Monday to Tuesday, it said.

In the next three days, light snow is likely to fall in northern parts of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, eastern parts of Qinghai province and other northwestern regions, the center added.

The Ministry of Public Security has urged relevant departments to prepare for severe weather in order to avoid major accidents or traffic jams.

The ministry also asked the departments to obtain more suggestions from experts and police before making efforts to manage traffic.