The National Meteorological Center (NMC) said Sunday that strong cold air will hit north China in the next two days, bringing heavy rainfall to the region, while scorching weather will persist in the south. The cold air will arrive between Monday and Tuesday from Mongolia and cause temperature drops and heavy rains in most parts of north China, with downpours hitting some areas, said the NMC. Rainfall will also sweep western parts of Yunnan province and the Sichuan Basin in the next 24 hours, as well as parts of Shanxi, Shaanxi, Henan and Jiangsu provinces, said the weather agency. Meanwhile, the NMC maintained the blue high-temperature alert Sunday, forecasting that temperatures will surge above 35 degrees Celsius in east of the Sichuan Basin, parts of Chongqing Municipality, and Guangdong and Hubei provinces and most areas south of the Yangtze River. Among these regions, the southwestern Sichuan Basin, most parts of Chongqing, and central Jiangxi and Zhejiang provinces are expected to see temperatures climb to 37 or 39 degrees Celsius during the day. The center uses a four-tier color-coded heat warning system, with red being the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue.