BEIJING, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- The National Meteorological Center (NMC) on Wednesday said that parts of northern China will experience sandy winds in the next three days as a cold wave grips the region.

From Wednesday to Friday, blowing sand will affect some parts of the Shaanxi, Gansu and Shanxi provinces as well as the Inner Mongolia and Ningxia Hui autonomous regions.

Smoggy weather is expected in the Beijing-Hebei-Tianjin region and nearby areas on Thursday, according to the center.

The NMC forecast that the aforementioned regions will see air quality improve from Friday, when sandy winds will gradually subside.