BEIJING, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- A cold front will sweep most of China's northern regions, bringing falling temperatures and strong winds from Wednesday, the national observatory forecast.

Affected by cold air moving eastward, temperatures in parts of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and northern and northeastern provinces will drop by up to 10 degrees Celsius, the National Meteorological Center forecast.

The chilly weather will be accompanied by sleet in northern part of Xinjiang, and moderate rainfall in northern and northeastern provinces, the center said.

It said the provinces of Sichuan and Yunnan will expect heavy rain or rainstorms in the next three days, and urged local authorities to make precautions for possible geological disasters.