BEIJING, March 4 -- A cold front arriving late on Friday will dispel the smog shrouding north China, according to the National Meteorological Center (NMC).

The weather observatory said north China will face strong winds in the next three days, with temperatures in some parts falling by 10-12 degrees Celsius.

Smog has shrouded Beijing, Tianjin, and the provinces of Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu, Anhui and Hubei for two days. The NMC renewed its yellow alert for smog on Friday.

The NMC also forecast dusty weather for northwest China over the next 24 hours. Southern Xinjiang and Western Inner Mongolia will be hit by sand storms.

China has a four-tier warning system for extreme weather, with red as the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue.