A rare strong cold front has put the brakes on spring warmth, with most parts of China seeing the mercury drop sharply since Thursday.

Temperatures dropped by as much as 20 C in parts of Gansu, Shaanxi and Shanxi provinces, which were hit by heavy snow, the National Meteorological Center said.

Long periods of rain and snow are rarely seen in April, the center said, adding that some areas had experienced their latest spring snowfall since records began.

Elsewhere, heavy rain, thunderstorms and hail hit some areas in Guizhou, Hunan and Guangdong provinces, the center said.

On Thursday in Shanxi, as much as 24 centimeters of snow fell in some areas while others were hit with heavy rain, according to the provincial meteorological service, which added that many weather stations in southern Shanxi had record precipitation for late April.

The average temperature in most parts of the province dropped by between 12 C and 22 C, the service said.

A resident from Changzhi, Shanxi, told Jimu News, a media outlet in Hubei province, that the snowfall arrived suddenly. Since the public central heating had already been switched off, he had to take out the down jackets again.

A farmer surnamed Zhang in Taiyuan, Shanxi, told Jimu News that the snowfall caught him off guard.

"Now the fruit trees are covered with snow, the temperature is too low. If the flowers are frozen over time, they won't bear fruit later," he was quoted as saying.

The rain and snow in Shanxi are expected to last until Tuesday.

In Shaanxi province, the snow may reduce fruit yields due to poor pollination, the local meteorological service said.

The service suggested farmers spray nutrient solution on frozen orchards after the rain and snow, and add sucrose to reduce the impact of frost damage.