Students wrap themselves up in warm clothes in Beijing, Jan 22, 2016. Temperature in Beijing is expected to hit a 30-year low of minus 17 degrees Celsius on Saturday, Beijing meteorological station said. [Photo/Xinhua]

A record-breaking strong cold wave will sweep 90 percent of China from north to south, as three yellow alerts of cold wave, blizzard and sea gale were issued by National Meteorological Center on Thursday.

On Friday, many highways were closed and airport traffic disrupted as the worst cold front in years hit several Chinese provinces.

Municipalities and provinces in eastern, southern and central areas like Shanghai, Fujian, Guangdong, Jiangxi have elevated the level of emergency response to deal with the cold front.

Beijing's temperature to reach -17 degree Celsius

Beijing's temperature is expected to plunge to minus 17 degree Celsius on Saturday morning, close to the lowest recorded for 30 years, according to the municipal meteorological service.

As strong winds are also expected from Friday to Sunday, temperatures in mountainous areas are forecast to dip to minus 23 degree Celsius.

Low temperature to break record in Shanghai

Sleet has been falling since Wednesday evening and the accumulated volume of rainfall and snowfall has reached 3-7 millimeters by Thursday morning in eastern China's Shanghai. The municipal meteorological service forecast the lowest temperature to be close to or break the 1981 record on Sunday and Monday.

The local public security bureau has taken precaution for potential major traffic accident or pileup in freezing rain and snow weather.

Guangdong issues emergency response

South China's Guangdong province braves freezing and frost weather from Friday to next Monday, which triggered an anti-freezing emergency response of level Ⅲ, the third highest in the four-level system.

In southern Guangdong's Pearl River Delta area, the lowest temperature is expected to approach the 1999 record of 0 degree Celsius. Most parts of the province will see a temperature drop between 8 to 10 degrees Celsius.