The Chinese Lunar New year holiday will not be as sunny and bright as one expects it to be. Instead, weather experts said rain, snow and smog will hit the country over the next two days.

China's National Meteorological Center (NMC) said on Wednesday that light to strong rain will fall in most of China's northern and southeastern regions.

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Smog, meanwhile, will cover the country's central part in the next two days, the beginning of the Chinese Lunar New Year, which ushers in the arrival of the Year of the Sheep.

Guangx, Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi and Anhui will experience torrential rain, with rainfall reaching up to 65 millimeters in some areas.

Light to moderate rainfall will be experienced in China's eastern areas, including those regions located along the yellow and huai rivers, the NMC said.

Some northern and northeastern areas, including the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, will experience medium snow and sleet, with heavy snow forecast for some nearby areas.

The NMC also said central China will be shrouded with light to moderate smog during the Chinese Lunar New Year.

Meanwhile, China's cabinet has called on local governments at or above country level to strengthen its safety measures for tourists who will be arriving in throng during the dual holidays to ensure that no incident similar to the deadly stampede in Shanghai on New Year's Eve will take place again.

"(Related departments) should be on alert of potential risks and keep a strong sense of responsibility so as to map out sound arrangements and safety measures to ensure the security of tourists' lives and assets," said a circular from the cabinet on tourists' safety for the Spring Festival holiday and the Lantern Festival in early March.

"The lessons from the Shanghai stampede and similar accidents should be well learned," it said.

According to the document, local governments at or above the county level are responsible for coordinating efforts to ensure tourists' safety within their jurisdictions, and detailed obligations must be delegated to specific people.

Officials will be held liable for inadequate safety measures, slack supervision or duty negligence that will lead to accidents involving tourists.

TagsChinese Lunar New Year