China renews yellow alert for rainstorms

BEIJING -- China's national observatory on Saturday renewed a yellow alert for rainstorms in several provinces and regions from Saturday evening to Sunday evening.

From 8 pm Saturday to 8 pm Sunday, torrential rains and rainstorms are expected to lash parts of Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Liaoning, Yunnan, Guangxi and the Sichuan Basin, the National Meteorological Center said.

According to the forecast, some regions are likely to see over 70 mm of hourly precipitation, accompanied by thunderstorms and gales.

The Ministry of Water Resources and the China Meteorological Administration issued an orange alert on Saturday for floods in parts of Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu over the same 24-hour period.

Local authorities are advised to stay vigilant for possible flooding, landslides and mudslides, and suspend outdoor activities in disaster-prone areas.

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