IN BRIEF (Page 7)

Beijing

Thunder, rain to hit much of country

Thunderstorms and heavy rain are forecast to hit southern, central and eastern parts of China on Monday, the national observatory said on Sunday. Storms will sweep parts of Guizhou, Hunan, Hubei, Anhui, Jiangxi and Fujian provinces and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, with hail in some areas, according to the National Meteorological Center. Heavy rain will also hit Shandong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, with rainfall of up to 50 millimeters in some regions.