China renews blue alert for rainstorms

BEIJING, March 21 (Xinhua) -- China's National Meteorological Center on Monday renewed a blue alert for rainstorms in various parts of the country and called for precautionary measures.

From 2 p.m. Monday to 2 p.m. Tuesday, heavy downpours are expected to lash parts of Hubei, Anhui, Jiangsu, Hunan, Jiangxi, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangxi and Guangdong, according to the center.

Some of the aforementioned regions are likely to encounter over 40 mm of hourly precipitation accompanied by thunderstorms and gales.

The center has advised local governments to make preparations for the rainstorms, and drivers have been alerted to watch out for flooding and traffic jams.

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