BEIJING - Heavy rain will sweep north China, while the southern part of the country will see scorching weather over the next three days, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) forecast on Sunday.

The country's weather observatory said that rainfall will sweep parts of north China and areas along the Yellow, Huaihe and Yangtze rivers from Sunday to Tuesday.

The NMC warned that rainstorms, with precipitation of 50 to 70 mm, will hit parts of Hebei, Jilin, Heilongjiang and Inner Mongolia. Thunderstorms, hail and gales are also expected for some of these areas, according to the forecast.

It said temperatures will surge to above 35 degrees Celsius in Sichuan Province, Chongqing Municipality and some areas to the south of the Yangtze River over the next three days. Some regions are expected to see temperatures climb to 37 degrees Celsius during the day.