China warns of rainstorms; asks authorities to be alert

Chinese meteorologists warned on Saturday that rainstorms will hit some southern regions over the next 24 hours, asking authorities to closely watch the weather and brace for any situations.

From Saturday to Sunday, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guangdong and Fujian provinces will be lashed by heavy rain or storms, with some areas to get caught in torrential rain up to 120 millimetres, according to the National Meteorological Centre (NMC) forecast.

The centre also issued a blue alert, the lowest on a four- tier warning system, for severe convective weather for the above-mentioned regions and some northern and central areas.

Provinces of Shanxi, Henan, Shaanxi and Gansu will be pounded by thunderstorms on Saturday and some areas will also see hailstones, the centre said.

The NMC cautioned that local governments should take emergency measures against thunderstorms, strong wind and potential disasters, including mountain floods and landslides, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

China has a four-tier colour-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.