China on blue alert as rainstorms continue to wreak havoc

BEIJING -- China's national observatory on Monday issued a blue alert for rainstorms as heavy downpours continue to wreak havoc in vast stretches of the country.

From Monday morning to Tuesday morning, heavy rain and rainstorms are expected in the provinces of Zhejiang, Anhui, Hubei, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Sichuan, Hebei and Shandong, 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.

The center advised local authorities to remain alert for possible flooding, landslides and mudslides and recommended halting outdoor operations in hazardous areas.

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.