Heavy rain forecast to sweep China

BEIJING -- China's weather center on Sunday night, continued an alert for rainstorms expected to sweep most parts of the country over the next few days.

Thunderstorms, accompanied by gales or hail, will hit North China from Sunday night through Tuesday, the National Meteorological Center said on its website.

The center suggested northern cities like Beijing and Tianjin take precautions against waterlogging and that the wheat-growing regions do everything possible to minimize the adverse impacts on the wheat harvest.

Heavy rains will continue in southern regions over the next three days, with precipitation reaching 180 millimeters in some areas.

The center also warned of torrential floods in mountainous regions.

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