The National Meteorological Center yesterday forecast that scorching weather will linger in the south and rain will sweep the western and central regions over the next three days.

Photo taken on Sunday, Aug. 21, 2011 shows rocks and debris of the landslide in Yingxiu Township of Wenchuan County, southwest China's Sichuan Province. Landslide swept over the township Sunday morning. The rocks and debris have blocked the Minjiang River. [Xinhua]?

Heavy rains are expected to pound western China and eastern parts of central China today, the NMC said. Thunderstorms and gales will hit parts of Sichuan, Shaanxi, Anhui and Jiangsu provinces.

Rain has already lashed parts of Sichuan Province, triggering mudslides that have cut off roads and blocked rivers. National highway 213 has been covered by mudslides near the town of Yingxiu.

Most of the country's southern areas and parts of the southwest will experience temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius. Temperatures of 37 to 39 degrees will hit most of Chongqing Municipality, eastern parts of the Sichuan Basin and Guizhou Province.

The highest temperatures in the northern part of Chongqing and southeastern areas of the Sichuan Basin will exceed 40 degrees, the NMC said.

Temperatures in Chongqing are expected to cool as rain falls from early this morning until tomorrow.

Enduring heat and scarce rain have caused drought in some areas of south China. A total of 26 counties have been hit by drought in the southwestern Chongqing Municipality, with 149,713 hectares of farmland affected and 613,000 people short of drinking water.

In Guizhou Province there is a hydropower shortage because water levels in reservoirs have fallen to a record low. More than 4.4 million people in the province are short of drinking water.

In the eastern Zhejiang Province, the highest temperatures in some areas have exceeded 39 degrees, and the government of the capital city of Hangzhou has demanded suspension of high-energy-consuming enterprises and tight control over use of air-conditioners in office buildings, shopping malls and supermarkets.