The National Meteorological Center (NMC) said on Saturday that strong rains will sweep the northwestern and southern parts of the country over the next three days.

Heavy rains are expected for eastern parts of northwest China, the southern part of Shanxi Province, and areas along the Yellow and Huaihe rivers, said a statement on the NMC website.

Areas along the Yangtze and the Huaihe rivers, northeastern parts of regions south of the Yangtze River and the western part of the Sichuan Basin will also see heavy rains.

Rainstorms are forecasted to hit the western part of the Sichuan basin, the southern part of Sichuan Province, eastern parts of Gansu and Henan provinces, north-central parts of Jiangsu and Anhui provinces as well as areas along the Yangtze and the Huaihe rivers.

The scorching weather will continue in the Sichuan basin, Chongqing Municipality, provinces of Guizhou, Hubei and Anhui, regions south of the Yangtze River, as well as south China with highest temperatures to exceed 40 degrees Celsius in some places.

But the NMC expects high temperatures to be eased in the south starting Aug. 22.