BEIJING -- China continues to expect rain in the south, while a cold front will sweep across most parts of the country starting Tuesday, the national observatory said Sunday.

Another two rounds of rain will hit south China from Sunday, as areas along the Yangtze and Han rivers, regions between the Yangtze and Huaihe rivers, and regions south of the Yangtze River can expect moderate rainfalls, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) said.

Guizhou and Yunnan provinces, areas south of the Yangtze River, as well as other northwestern and southern regions will see temperatures drop by by 4 to 10 degrees Celsius from Feb 20 to Feb 22, according to the NMC.

The cold wave will bring the temperature down by over 10 degrees Celsius in some places, it said.

From Sunday to Monday, smog will hit regions between the Yellow and Huaihe rivers and parts of north China, with heavy smog expected to blanket parts of Hebei, Henan, Shanxi, and Shaanxi provinces.

The cold front is expected to disperse pollution from Feb 20, the NMC predicted.

It warned the public in affected regions to take precautions for icy weather.