China renews blue alert for rainstorms

BEIJING -- China's National Meteorological Center on Tuesday renewed a blue alert for rainstorms in various parts of the country and called for precautionary measures.

From 8 am Tuesday to 8 am Wednesday, heavy downpours are expected to lash parts of Gansu, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei and the Sichuan Basin, with some areas experiencing up to 120 mm of rainfall, according to the center.

Some of the aforementioned regions are likely to encounter over 50 mm of hourly precipitation accompanied by thunderstorms and gales.

The center advised local governments to make preparations for the rainstorms. Drivers were alerted to watch out for flooding and traffic jams.

China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.