Widespread rain, snow to hit central, east China

Two rounds of heavy rain and snow will lash various parts of central and east China in the coming days and lead to continuous temperature drops, according to the National Meteorological Center.

From Sunday to Monday, north China and regions between the Yellow and Huaihe rivers will see the first widespread snowfall this winter, with heavy snow mainly in the provinces of Shanxi, Hebei and Henan, the center said.

Snowfall in some of these areas may be close to or reach the historical maximum in the same period, said Xu Jun, the center's chief forecaster.

The other round of rain and snow will hit China from December 13 to 15.

Experts have advised relevant regions to strengthen prevention against adverse impacts on transport, energy supply, agriculture and animal husbandry due to extreme snowfall events and low temperatures.