Weather forecasters are calling for a mixed bag of bad weather for the country which begins the week-long May Day holiday Monday.

 

Southern China can expect to be lashed by rain while people in the north are likely going to have to suffer through another sandstorm.

 

Heavy rain will hit areas along the Huaihe River and to the south of the Yangtze River most of the week, said Wang Bangzhong, deputy-director of the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) weather forecast and disaster relief department.

 

Wind and a moderate sandstorm will sweep across northern China, brought by a cold snap in northern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region starting on Wednesday. Sandstorms will affect the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Gansu Province with temperature drops from Thursday to Saturday.

 

Rain is forecast for most of the nation Thursday to Saturday.

 

Meteorologists are warning the public of increasing natural disasters caused by climate change and advise tourists to pay more attention to weather forecasts.

 

(Xinhua News Agency May 1, 2006)