China raises storm alert level

BEIJING -- China's meteorological authority on Tuesday raised its storm alert to yellow for heavy rain across China in the coming two days.

Storms will continue to hit the provinces of Sichuan, Guizhou, Hunan, Hubei, Anhui, Jiangsu, Henan, Shanxi, Shandong and Hebei, as well as municipalities of Chongqing, Tianjin and Beijing from Tuesday morning to Wednesday morning, with up to 180 millimeters of rain expected in some areas, the National Meteorological Center said.

The center advised residents to take precautions against possible floods, landslides, mud and rock flows.

Heavy rain across the south since June resulted in heavy casualties, while a powerful tornado and hailstorm in Yancheng city in China's Jiangsu province on June 23 left around 100 dead.

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