Northeast China province issues highest rainstorm alerts

HARBIN -- Northeast China's Heilongjiang province on Sunday afternoon issued two red alerts for rainstorms, with red being the highest alert level in the country's four-tier weather warning system, according to the provincial meteorological observatory.

The observatory issued the first red alert at 1:10 pm, followed by a second at 2:20 pm. It said that several townships in the province have seen rainfall ranging from 50 mm to 70 mm within a period of one to two hours.

Heavy rain is expected to continue, with forecasts predicting cumulative rainfall of 100 mm or more.

At 1:40 pm Sunday, it also warned of severe convective weather, forecasting thunderstorms, gales and hail, as well as heavy rain in some parts of the province over the next six hours.