Cold front, heavy fog to sweep China People walk on a fog-shrouded overbridge in Beijing, March 17, 2012. The city was covered in fog o...

Cold front, heavy fog to sweep China

People walk on a fog-shrouded overbridge in Beijing, March 17, 2012. The city was covered in fog on Saturday. (Xinhua/Liu Jinhai)

BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- A cold front is expected to sweep China over the weekend, bringing rain, fog and plunging temperatures, the meteorological authority said Saturday.

Most northern regions will experience a decrease of 6 to 10 degrees Celsius over the coming three days. In China's northernmost regions, temperatures may fall by as much as 14 degrees Celsius, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) said.

Meanwhile, strong winds are expected to batter those regions as well. The Tarim Basin in south Xinjiang, the western parts of Inner Mongolia and the northern parts of Ningxia will see dust storms on Sunday.

South China will expect drenching rains to linger over the weekend, the NMC said.

The weather agency also forecast that heavy fog will blanket most regions in north China.

Thick fog in Beijing has closed major highways and delayed a number of flights early Saturday, the city's traffic authority said.

Photo taken on March 17, 2012 shows a fog-shrouded building in Beijing, capital of China. The city was covered in fog on Saturday. (Xinhua/Wang Zhen)

Tourists visit the fog-shrouded Temple of Heaven in Beijing, March 17, 2012. The city was covered in fog on Saturday. (Xinhua/Li Wen)

Vehicles move on a fog-shrouded road in Beijing, March 17, 2012. The city was covered in fog on Saturday. (Xinhua/Liu Jinhai)

？People walk on a fog-shrouded road in the Tiantan Park (Temple of Heaven) in Beijing, March 17, 2012. The city was covered in fog on Saturday. (Xinhua/Li Wen)

People do morning exercise in the Tiantan Park (Temple of Heaven) in Beijing, March 17, 2012. The city was covered in fog on Saturday. (Xinhua/Li Wen)

Vehicles move on a fog-shrouded road before dawn in Beijing, capital of China, March 17, 2012. The city was covered in fog on Saturday. (Xinhua/Wang Jingsheng)