China renews alert for rainstorms

Beijing, Aug 16 (IANS) China's national observatory on Sunday renewed a yellow alert for rainstorms in several provinces and regions till Monday morning.From 8 a.m. Sunday to 8 a.m. Monday, torrential rains and rainstorms are expected to lash parts of the Sichuan Basin, Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong, Yunnan and Guangxi, the National Meteorological Centre said.According to the forecast, some regions are likely to see over 70 mm of hourly precipitation, accompanied by thunderstorms and gales, reports Xinhua news agency.The Ministry of Water Resources and the China Meteorological Administration issued an orange alert on Saturday for floods in parts of Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu from Saturday evening to Sunday evening.Local authorities were advised to stay vigilant for possible flooding, landslides and mudslides, and suspend outdoor activities in disaster-prone areas.China has a four-tier, colour-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe, followed by orange, yellow, and blue.
--IANS ksk/