Rainfall of between 10-152 millimetres could hit China's parched central provinces of Hunan, Anhui and Jiangxi, the China News website reported, citing local weather reports.
Several Chinese provinces that are enduring their worst drought in decades may be hit by thunderstorms and landslides in the next two days, local media said, although it was not clear how much relief it will provide to devastated crops and fish farms.
Rainfall of between 10-152 millimetres could hit China's parched central provinces of Hunan, Anhui and Jiangxi, the China News website reported, citing local weather reports.
While the rain would replenish water supplies in the food-producing region, known locally as a "land of fish and rice", it may not be enough to make up for the region''s 40-60 percent rain shortfall.
Farmers desperately need generous rainfall in the coming weeks, or the first of their two annual rice crops could wither and die, and more of the thousands of fish and crab farms could lose all their stock.
Anhui was forecast to have the highest rainfall of over 100 millimetres in 106 villages, and up to 152 millimetres near its Huangshan mountain. In Jiangxi, the rainfall was forecast to be over 50 millimetres, and between 10-24 millimetres for Hunan.
"It is strongly recommended that local governments and relevant authorities take emergency precautionary action against torrential rains," China's National Meteorological Centre was quoted as saying.
Other southern Chinese provinces including Guizhou, Guangxi, Zhejiang and Fujian were also forecast to experience heavy rain.
The downpour could bring flooding, even in drought-hit areas, as China's state news agency Xinhua warned on Saturday.
But Premier Wen Jiabao has said it was too early to call an end to the dry spell because there is "still a way to go for the fundamental easing of the drought".
The drought which has damaged crops and exacerbated a power shortage by cutting power from dams, has added to near three-year high consumer inflation, albeit only moderately for now.
But it is still a stark reminder of how the world's second-largest economy is increasingly threatened by its dwindling water resources.
China has just six percent of the world's fresh water resources but a fifth of its population.
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