BEIJING, Nov. 24 -- Temperatures in central and eastern China plummeted on Friday morning and cold air is expected to continue gripping various parts of the country over the next 10 days, China's meteorological authorities said on Friday.

Affected by this round of cold waves, temperatures dived by 6 to 10 degrees Celsius in regions including Inner Mongolia and northeast China, with some areas experiencing temperature declines of 12 to 17 degrees, according to the National Meteorological Center.

It said a new round of strong cold air will sweep most parts of central and eastern China from Sunday to Tuesday.

Temperatures could decline by 4 to 6 degrees in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and in areas to their north, the center said, forecasting temperature drops of up to 12 degrees in parts of Inner Mongolia and northeast China.

Accompanying temperature drops, strong winds and gales are likely to occur in parts of northwest China and also coastal areas, while moderate to heavy snow is forecast to hit Inner Mongolia, Jilin and Heilongjiang from Sunday to Monday, with snowstorms expected to rage in some areas.