BEIJING -- China's meteorological authority issued a blue alert for a cold wave on Wednesday. Temperatures will plunge in most parts of the country over the next few days.

According to the National Meteorological Center (NMC), a cold wave is expected to move across China, causing temperature drops of 6 to 8 degrees Celsius in the Huanghuai region -- a geographical area that encompasses parts of several provinces, including Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu and Shandong -- and most parts to the north of the Huanghuai region.

The NMC said the temperature will decline by 4 to 6 degrees Celsius in most parts of the southern region.

In some regions, the temperature drop could exceed 10 degrees Celsius, it added.

The NMC also issued a yellow alert for strong winds, saying that from Wednesday to Thursday, powerful winds are expected to hit some areas in the Xizang autonomous region, Qinghai province, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, and the northern region, as well as parts of the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea, the East Sea, the Taiwan Strait, the Bashi Channel, and the South China Sea.

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