BEIJING, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- The national observatory on Tuesday said a cold front to sweep most of southern China will cause temperature drops and bring rain and snow.

The National Meteorological Center (NMC) said temperatures will fall by 4 to 8 degrees Celsius in areas including Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Yunnan and Guizhou provinces during the next two days, with some places expected to see declines of up to 10 degrees.

The falling temperatures will be accompanied by strong north wind and precipitation ranging from light rain to downpours.

The NMC advised residents to take precautions against the cold weather and icy roads.

Some regions in other parts of the country will see sleet and moderate snow Tuesday night, including Gansu, Shaanxi and Sichuan, according to the NMC. Central China's Shanxi Province will likely be hit by heavy snow.