BEIJING, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- Rain and snow will sweep south China in the coming three days, weather authorities said Tuesday.

Strong precipitation is expected to hit the eastern part of southwest China, the Yellow River and the Huaihe River valleys and areas south of the Yangtze River from Tuesday to Thursday, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) said in a statement.

Moderate to heavy snow will fall on parts of those regions, according to the statement.

It also said moderate to heavy rain will hit southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, central China's Hunan Province, and Jiangxi and Zhejiang provinces in the east, with torrential rain expected in some areas.

The NMC also forecast heavy snow in northern and western parts of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region over the next three days.