China renews blue alert for rainstorms

BEIJING - China's national observatory on Saturday renewed a blue alert for rainstorms, as incessant downpours continued to wreak havoc in vast stretches of the country.

From Saturday afternoon to Sunday afternoon, heavy rain and rainstorms are expected in the provincial regions of Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Yunnan, Shanxi, Henan, Hebei and Shandong, the National Meteorological Center said.

Some of these regions will see up to 70 mm of hourly precipitation, accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds, the center said, warning that some areas in Hubei, Anhui, Zhejiang and Chongqing will experience downpours with up to 150 mm of daily rainfall.

The center advised local authorities to remain alert for possible flooding, landslides and mudslides, and recommended halting outdoor operations in hazardous areas.

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

Since June, continuous downpours have lashed large parts of southern China, and the waters of many rivers in the affected regions exceeded warning levels.

China's Ministry of Water Resources has called for all-out efforts to prevent floods, and has dispatched teams to affected areas to facilitate flood prevention and control.