China renews blue alert for rainstorms

BEIJING - China's national observatory on Saturday renewed a blue alert for rainstorms in parts of the country's southwestern, central and eastern regions.

From 8 a.m. Saturday to 8 am Sunday, heavy rainfall and rainstorms are expected in parts of Guizhou, Chongqing, Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi, Anhui, Fujian, Zhejiang and Tibet, the National Meteorological Center said.

Parts of the areas will see hourly precipitation of more than 60 mm, the center said.

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