China on blue alert for rainstorms

BEIJING -- The national observatory on Friday issued a blue alert, the lowest in a four-tier weather warning system, for rainstorms in southern China over the coming days.

From Friday to Saturday, heavy rain is expected in some parts of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and the provinces of Jiangxi, Guangdong, Fujian and Yunnan, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) said in a statement.

Some areas will see torrential rain accompanied by thunder or hail, according to the NMC.

Local authorities were asked to prepare for the weather front by cutting power in high-risk areas and to prepare for floods and landslides.

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