Brace yourself for a cold snap that's heading south

A cold wave sweeping across the country has pushed the mercury down by 6 to 8 C across much of central and eastern China, prompting the National Meteorological Center to issue its second blue alert for a cold snap this week on Wednesday.

This winter's first blue alert for cold - the least severe - was issued on Tuesday evening.

The cold spell is expected to persist through Sunday. As it heads south, the freezing air will reach as far as the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the center said.