China renews blue alert amid incessant rainstorms

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

From Tuesday morning to Wednesday morning, heavy rain and rainstorms are expected in the regions of Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Hunan, Jiangxi, Fujian and Zhejiang, 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.

Local authorities are advised to remain alert for possible flooding, landslides and mudslides, and halting outdoor operations in hazardous areas is recommended.

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 on Sunday activated a level-IV emergency response, the lowest in the country's four-tier warning system, after rainstorms triggered floods in central and southwestern regions of the country.