The National Meteorological Center issued a blue alert for severe convective weather on Thursday, the lowest level in the country's four-tier warning system, with snow, torrential rain and hail expected across parts of China through Friday.

The center warned that from Thursday morning to Friday morning, parts of South and Southwest China will experience thunderstorms accompanied by strong winds or hail. Hourly rainfall could exceed 50 millimeters in parts of central Guangdong province.

On Friday, moderate to heavy rain is forecast in parts of Fujian province, the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and Yunnan province, according to Weather China, a website affiliated with the China Meteorological Administration.

From Thursday to Friday, heavy snow is forecast across large parts of the Xizang autonomous region, Qinghai province, southwestern Gansu province and northern areas of the western Sichuan plateau, with localized blizzards possible, the website said.

A new round of cooling is also expected to sweep southward across the country under the combined influence of cold air and precipitation. Temperatures in some areas of southern China could drop by more than 10 C over Thursday and Friday. Many regions, especially the Yellow-Huaihe River region and areas south of the Yangtze River, are expected to see temperatures fall below the seasonal average, Weather China said.

The sharp cooling will be brief, however. By the weekend, as the cold air moves away, temperatures are expected to rebound significantly nationwide. Areas north of the Yangtze River could see temperatures rise by more than 10 C, with increases exceeding 15 C in some places, according to the website.