BEIJING - China's meteorological authority on Saturday predicted heavy snow and rainstorms in south China for the coming 24 hours, warning of a possible impact on local transportation during the ongoing Spring Festival travel rush.

Central Anhui province will see heavy snow over the next 24 hours, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) said in a statement on its website.

Meanwhile, heavy rains will hit regions south of the Yangtze River and the northern parts of south China during the period, the NMC noted.

Hunan, Guangdong, Jiangxi and Fujian provinces will all experience rainstorms, with precipitation of up to 60 milliliters in some areas, the NMC said.

Fog will shroud the central and southern parts of north China, as well as regions along the Yellow and Huai rivers, until noon Saturday, reducing visibility to less than 1,000 meters in certain areas, the NMC said, adding that the northern parts of Jiangsu province will see haze in the next 24 hours.

NMC experts said the rain, snow and fog will have a negative impact on travel ahead of the Spring Festival holiday, urging transportation authorities to take precautions.

The Spring Festival, which falls on Jan 23 this year, is a major Chinese holiday. A total of 3.16 billion passenger trips are expected during the 40-day festival travel rush, which started on January 8.