A boat is covered in snow in Hangzhou City, capital of China's Zhejiang Province, Jan. 3, 2013. [Chinanews.com]
Rain and snow are expected to sweep most parts of China in the coming days as cold snap lingers, the national ovbervatory forecast Thursday.
Light to moderate snow or sleet will fall in southwest China, areas along the Yangtze and Han rivers, regions south of the Yangtze river and Heilongjiang province, as well as the Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous regions, the observatory said.
The observatory also predicted light rain and showers for Yunnan, Guangdong and Hainan provinces, as well as Taiwan and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.
Meanwhile, the provinces of Guizhou, Hunan and Jiangxi will be hit by freezing rain, the observatory said.
Over the next three days, precipitation will continue in parts of south China, with some areas seeing freezing rain, the observatory said.
Continuous rain and snow have sent Thursday's temps down by 8 degrees Celsius in south China, with some areas experiencing temperature drops of 12 to 18 degrees Celsius.
Photo taken on Jan. 3 shows a general view of snow-covered Wulin Square, Hangzhou City, capital of China's Zhejiang Province. [Chinanews.com]
A girl writes her name in the snow in Hangzhou City, capital of Zhejiang Province, Jan. 3. [Chinanews.com]
Editor Kong Yan