BEIJING, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- The meteorological authority renewed a blue alert for rainstorms Wednesday, forecasting heavy rain in the country's southern regions.

From Wednesday afternoon to Thursday afternoon, parts of Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian and Hainan will see up to 320 millimeters of rainfall, said the National Meteorological Center (NMC).

Torrential rain is also forecast for parts of Shanxi, Hebei and Beijing through Thursday.

The NMC advised people living in the affected areas to prepare for possible floods, landslides and mud and rock flows, and those that live in mountainous areas were told to move to safe places.

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