BEIJING, April 18 -- A cold front is moving towards a vast part of northern and central China, bringing temperatures down by up to 8 degrees Celsius, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) forecast Saturday.

From Saturday night to Sunday, the cold air will sweep across the central and eastern parts of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, eastern regions of north China, as well as most parts of central and east China.

Temperatures will drop by 4 to 8 degrees Celsius in the above-mentioned regions, after north China has seen drops of up to 19 degrees since Friday afternoon, the center said.

In the next three days, most parts of south China will experience a round of heavy rain, with some areas to be hit by thunder storms and strong gales, the NMC added.