BEIJING, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- China's meteorological authority on Thursday renewed a blue alert for a cold wave, as most parts of southern China and parts of northern China will continue to see drastic temperature drops and strong gales.

From Thursday to Friday, some areas in the provinces of Anhui, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian and Yunnan will experience temperature drops of up to 10 degrees Celsius, said the National Meteorological Center (NMC).

The cold wave will bring strong gales to areas along the Yangtze River and north of the river, according to the NMC.

The center advised the public to take precautions against the cold weather and strong winds and suggest that traffic and police authorities prepare for icy road conditions.

China has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe weather, followed by orange, yellow and blue.