BEIJING - China's meteorological authority said Wednesday heavy snow will hit many parts of the nation's south in the next 24 hours.

Southern parts of Anhui Province, central and southern areas in Zhejiang and Hunan provinces, most regions in Jiangxi Province, and southwestern areas of Fujian Province should expect heavy snow, with some areas likely to get snowstorms, the Central Meteorological Station (CMS) said in a statement on its website.

Temperatures will drop by 6 to 8 degrees Celsius in most areas in Guizhou Province, the central and western parts of Sichuan Province and eastern regions in Yunnan Province in the next 24 hours, the CMS said.

Nationwide, temperatures will return to normal from Friday, said CMS chief forecaster He Lifu.