Snowfalls and heavy fog brought by the latest cold front hitting China are causing traffic jams and dramatic temperature drops across the country, authorities said on Friday.

According to the latest data from the Ministry of Transport, 23 highways in Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and Liaoning had been closed on Friday morning due to heavy fog.

As the cold front moved towards eastern China, medium to heavy snowfalls hit Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning on Thursday.

The snow is expected to continue throughout the week, the National Meteorological Center said.

The center predicted that until the weekend, northern China is likely to see a sudden temperature drop by up to 8 C and gales.

Authorities asked drivers to drive slowly due to the icy roads and foggy conditions, and it also asked farmers to set up vegetable greenhouses to avoid losses.