BEIJING - A cold wave will sweep China nationwide from Sunday evening to Tuesday, bringing gale winds and plunging temperature in most parts of the country, meteorological authorities warned Sunday.

The National Meteorological Center (NMC) said in a statement Sunday morning that it has issued a blue alert for the cold spell, the lowest level in the country's four-scale alert system.

From Sunday evening to Tuesday morning, temperatures will drop by six to eight degrees Celsius in central and eastern China, together with strong northerly winds of level four to six, or 5.5 to 13.8 meters per second, said the NMC.

In some parts of Inner Mongolia and northeastern China, temperature could drop by 14 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, northerly winds of level seven to eight will be gusting at speeds of up to 13.9 to 20.7 meters per second in the Bohai Sea and most parts of the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea, said the NMC.

The NMC urged caution against the cold wave, which will arrive before the Lantern Festival that falls on Monday, as many Chinese attend outdoor lantern shows as celebration.

Rainfall is expected in South China in the next three days, while more snow will hit northern provinces, said the NMC.