China renews yellow alert for rainstorms

BEIJING -- China's national observatory renewed a yellow alert for rainstorms on Friday morning, warning of downpours in some regions across the country.

From 8 am Friday to 8 am Saturday, heavy rains and rainstorms are forecast to hit parts of Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Beijing, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang and Taiwan island, the National Meteorological Center said.

In particular, parts of Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Jilin, Heilongjiang and Taiwan island are expected to experience rainstorms, with precipitation up to 150 mm, the center said.

The center has advised local authorities to take precautions for heavy rainstorms, and suggested that necessary drainage measures should be taken in urban areas and across farmlands.

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