China renews blue alert for rainstorms

BEIJING, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- China's National Meteorological Center on Sunday renewed its blue alert for rainstorms in southern and eastern parts of the country and called for taking precautionary measures.

From 8 a.m. Sunday to 8 a.m. Monday, heavy downpours are expected to lash parts of Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Jiangsu and Anhui, with southern parts of Guangxi experiencing rainfall of up to 160 mm, the center forecast.

Some of the aforementioned regions are likely to encounter over 50 mm of hourly precipitation accompanied by thunderstorms, gales or hail.

The center has advised local governments to make preparations for the rainstorms. Schools and kindergartens have been asked to take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of children 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.