Heavy rain is forecast to sweep parts of southwest and central China, as the country's meteorological authority issued a blue alert for rainstorms on Sunday.

China has a four-tier color-coded warning system for severe weather, with red being the most serious, followed by orange, yellow and blue.

Parts of Sichuan, Shaanxi, Hubei, Anhui, and Jiangsu provinces, as well as Chongqing and Shanghai municipalities will experience rainstorms from Sunday morning to Monday morning, according to the National Meteorological Center (NMC).

Precipitation is expected to reach up to 140 mm in parts of Sichuan and Jiangsu. In some areas, the rain may be accompanied by thunder, said the NMC.

It also warned of torrential floods, landslides or mudslides in the northeast part of the Sichuan Basin region as well as Jiangsu and Anhui.