Vehicles move slowly in torrential rain in Beijing at 1:00 pm on July 21, 2012. Beijing Meteorological Bureau issued a yellow warning of rain, second-highest in its four-scale rain alert system. An hourly rain volume of 30 millimeters is expected to fall from 2 to 5 pm. And the rain will last for 12 hours.

Heavy rains will sweep China's northern regions and some southern areas over the next three days, the weather authority forecast on Saturday morning. [Photo/Xinhua]