BEIJING, Dec. 19 -- A cold front moving east will hit most parts of China in the next three days, bringing strong winds and low temperatures, the national observatory forecast on Friday.

Temperatures will drop by up to 12 degrees Celsius in some parts of northeast China starting from Friday, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) said.

The NMC said temperatures in central and east China will be lower by four to six degrees Celsius with strong winds during the coming three days.

Snow is forecast for many parts of northeast China, including Heilongjiang, Liaoning and Jilin provinces.

The cold front is expected to disperse smog and improve visibility in some parts of north China, the NMC said.