BEIJING - Rain will sweep across north China, as the southern part of the country is approaching the end of the yearly plum rain season, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) forecast on Saturday.

The country's weather observatory said that moderate to heavy rainfall is expected in parts of Inner Mongolia, north and northeast China from Saturday to Monday.

Heavy rain will hit Southwest China's Sichuan province from Saturday to Monday, the NMC forecast, warning local residents to be on guard against extreme weather conditions and be careful about food safety as temperature and humidity will both be high.

Tropical storm Rumbia, formed on Friday night in the northwest Pacific ocean, east of the Philippines, is moving northwest at 25-30 km per hour and will arrive at the east part of the South China Sea on Sunday afternoon, the NMC said.