BEIJING, April 4 -- The heavy rain battering south China is set to continue during the three-day Tomb-Sweeping Day holiday, China's weather observatory said on Saturday.

Heavy rain will hit parts of the provinces of Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui, Jiangsu, Hubei and Sichuan, as well as Tibet Autonomous Region from Saturday to Sunday, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) said.

Thunderstorm and hail are also expected in some of the regions.

From Sunday to Monday, heavy rain will continue in parts of the provinces of Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi and Anhui.

The NMC advised people to stay alert for heavy rain as the Chinese have a tradition of making spring outings to enjoy the greenery and visiting family graves on Qingming, also known as the Tomb-Sweeping Day, which will fall on Sunday.