Thunderstorms, heavy rain to hit south China

China's National Observatory said on Sunday thunderstorms and heavy rain are expected to hit parts of the country's southern regions.

From Sunday afternoon to Monday afternoon, thunderstorms will sweep parts of Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangdong, Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui, Zhejiang and Fujian, with hail in some areas, according to the National Meteorological Center.

Heavy rain will hit those provinces and region as well as Hubei and Jiangsu, with rainfall of up to 50 millimeters in some areas.

The NMC upgraded a blue alert for the severe convective weather to a yellow alert on Sunday morning.

The country has a four-tier color-coded warning system for severe weather, with red being the most serious, followed by orange, yellow, and blue.

From Sunday to Monday, cold air will bring temperatures down by 6 to 8 degrees Celsius in some northeastern and northern areas as well as regions along the Yellow River and Yangtze River.

On Sunday, parts of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region will see moderate to heavy snow, according to the NMC.