China issues orange alert for mountain torrents

BEIJING, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- China issued an orange alert for mountain torrents Monday evening.

From 8 p.m. Monday to 8 p.m. Tuesday, mountain torrents are highly likely to occur in parts of Sichuan, Chongqing and Shaanxi, according to the alert issued by the Ministry of Water Resources and the China Meteorological Administration.

The two departments also issued a yellow alert for mountain torrents in areas of Hubei, Sichuan, Chongqing and Shaanxi.

Local authorities are advised to strengthen real-time monitoring and flood warning procedures amid measures to prepare for evacuation.

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