A strong cold wave is expected to sweep across northern and eastern China from Friday through Monday, marking the first cold snap of the second half of this year in China, meteorologists said on Thursday.

Ma Xuekuan, chief forecaster at the National Meteorological Center, said temperatures will drop by 6 to 10°C across most northern and eastern regions as the cold air mass moves from west to east. In parts of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Sichuan Basin, and southern Shaanxi province, temperatures may plunge by as much as 12 to 14°C.

The cold wave will also bring strong winds in these regions, with gusts reaching 17 meters per second, Ma said.

By the morning of Nov 18, the freezing line of 0°C is forecast to move southward to the southern Anhui province and northern Hubei province.

During the upcoming weekend, light to moderate snow is forecast for parts of Inner Mongolia, Northeast and East China, while heavy rain is likely in the northeastern Sichuan Basin and southern Shaanxi.

Monitoring data show that since early November, average temperatures nationwide have been 1 to 3°C above normal. However, stronger cold air will dominate over the next 10 days, increasing health risks.

Yang Jiguo, chief expert at the National Meteorological Center's public weather service department, advised the public to take precautions for the increasing influenza risks.

The cold wave could also affect power supply and demand. The strong winds will benefit wind power generation across much of central and eastern China and along the eastern and southern coasts.

Due to increased heating demand, electricity loads in regions such as North China are expected to rise about 20 percent above normal levels, Yang said.