BEIJING, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- A strong cold wave will sweep most of China and force down temperature in the coming two days beginning on Saturday as northern Chinese cities such as Beijing, Tianjin and others in Hebei Province embraced new year's first snowfall.

    The Central Meteorological Station (CMS) issued an orange alert for the cold wave, warning that most areas in north, central and east China would suffer temperature drops ranging from 8 to 12 degrees Celsius.

Photo taken on Jan. 2, 2009, shows a snow-covered car with the characters "the snow falls" in Beijing, China. Beijingers woke up to see the first snowfall of the New Year Saturday, after nearly two months of drought. (Xinhua/Lu Peng) Photo Gallery>>>

    In such places as central and western Inner Mongolia, northern Shaanxi and Shanxi as well as northwestern Hebei, temperature might plunge by 14 to 16 degrees Celsius, according to the CMS.

    There would also be gales during the cold weather and strong gusts over sea water along northern China's coastline, said the CMS.

    On Saturday morning, northern Chinese cities including Beijing, Tianjin and others in Hebei Province witnessed the first snow of the new year.

Tourists walk in Tiantan Park, Beijing, China, Jan. 2, 2009. Beijingers woke up to see the first snowfall of the new year Saturday, after nearly two months of drought. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai) Photo Gallery>>>

    At 6 a.m., the snowfall measured less than 1 millimeter in the city proper. The mountainous areas in the western suburbs, however, received 2.9 millimeters of snow, Beijing Meteorological Bureau said on its website.

    The CMS warned these cities and nearby areas would be hit by heavier snow or even blizzard, beginning Saturday afternoon through to Sunday noon.

    The orange alert, the second most critical level after red, means temperatures are expected to drop by 12 degrees Celsius within 24 hours, according to the CMS.

Photo taken on Jan. 2, 2010 shows the snow scene at a community in Beijing, capital of China. Beijing on Saturday embraced its first snowfall in 2010. (Xinhua) Photo Gallery>>>

    The CMS reminded people to rug up against the drastic temperature drop and reduce their outdoor activities.

    Under the orange alert, departments of railway, communication, electricity and transportation should strengthen the maintenance of the roads, railways and power lines.

    It also required local governments to prepare for potential emergencies, including failures in heating and water supplies or traffic blocks.