The strongest cold air so far this winter will move from the northwest into southeastern China, with strong winds, a drop in temperature and rain and snow expected in most places across China over the next two days.

Heavy snow hit Qiqihar, northeast China's Heilongjiang Pronvince, on December 3, 2008.

China News Service reported that China's Central Meteorological Observatory has issued this year's first cold air orange warning alert on Tuesday evening.

According to meteorologists, temperatures in northern China will drop by 8 to 12 degrees Celsius and 6 to 8 degrees in the south following the arrival of the cold front.

The cold air arrived in northwestern China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Tuesday morning. With that, the north part of Xinjiang was hit by strong winds and heavy snow.