BEIJING, July 4  -- China's meteorological center and flood control authorities issued on Saturday a blue storm alert and a flood warning separately for southern regions and middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

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

From Saturday to Sunday, storms will hit southern China, affecting the provinces of Jiangxi, Fujian, Zhejiang, Hunan, Guangxi and Yunnan, the National Meteorological Center(NMC) said in a statement.

Torrential rains will be seen in northern parts of Zhejiang, Fujian and Jiangxi, according to the statement.

The NMC warned local authorities to monitor the conditions and take precautions against waterlogging, landslides and other disasters.

The National Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters has issued a flood warning for the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River following higher-than-average rainfalls there.