China's fifth cold wave of the winter has sent temperatures plunging rapidly over vast areas since December 15.

The National Meteorological Center of China said that from 8 a.m. Friday to 8 p.m. Saturday, temperatures are expected to drop by 6 to 8 degrees Celsius in central and east China. Some areas, including northeastern cities, could even experience declines of more than 12 degrees.

China has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe weather, followed by orange, yellow and blue. On Friday morning, the center renewed a blue alert for the latest wave and advised the public to take precautions against cold weather and strong winds. It advised traffic and police authorities to prepare for icy road conditions.

(With input from Xinhua. Cover image via VCG.)

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