China's meteorological authorities said Friday that mild rains will continue to moisten the country's drought-hit regions in the southwest over the next three days.

Southwestern regions will continue to see light or moderate rains, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) said on its website.

The southwestern provinces of Guizhou, Yunnan and Sichuan, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and Chongqing Municipality have been seriously affected by a lingering drought over recent months.

According to the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, the nation's top drought-relief authority, the drought has left more than 12.6 million people short of drinking water and 3 million hectares of farmland parched in the region.

Strong rains will sweep eastern parts of northwest China, western parts of north China, and southern parts of south China, with some areas receiving as much as 80 millimeters of precipitation, the NMC said.