China issues blue alert for rainstorms

BEIJING–China’s national observatory on Sunday issued a blue alert, the lowest in a four-tier weather warning system, for rainstorms in southern China in the coming days.

From Sunday to Monday, heavy rain is expected in some parts of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and provinces of Guizhou, Hunan, Guangdong, Fujian and Zhejiang, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) said in a statement.

Some areas will see torrential rain accompanied by thunder or hail, according to the NMC.

Local authorities were asked to prepare for emergencies, cut off power in dangerous areas and be on guard against floods and landslides.

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