The National Meteorological Center on Thursday renewed a blue alert for heavy rain, the lowest level in the country's four-tier warning system, as a major rain band is forecast to shift toward South China from Thursday night to Friday.

From Thursday to Friday morning, parts of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and the provinces of Guangdong and Fujian are expected to experience downpours or even torrential rain, the center said.

During this period, the main rain and convective system will move eastward and southward, making South China the core region for precipitation, with some areas in eastern and southern Guangxi and central and northern Guangdong likely to see heavy to torrential rain.

For many areas south of the Yangtze River, the past 30 days have brought persistent rainfall. Parts of Jiangxi and Hunan provinces have recorded more than 400 millimeters of precipitation, double the average for the same period in normal years, according to Weather China, a website affiliated with the China Meteorological Administration.

Relief is on the way. From Friday through Sunday daytime, a temporary dry spell is expected across the region.

However, starting Sunday afternoon or evening, a new round of rainfall will develop, affecting Chongqing city, Guizhou and Hunan provinces, as well as the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. Widespread rain is forecast to return to areas south of the Yangtze River and South China on Monday and Tuesday, the website said.