Storms to hit south China

Rainstorms will hit some southern Chinese regions over the next 24 hours, the national observatory said Saturday.

From Saturday to Sunday, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guangdong and Fujian provinces will be lashed by heavy rain or storms, with some areas to get caught in torrential rain up to 120 millimeters, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) forecast.

The center also issued a blue alert, the lowest on a four-tier warning system, for severe convective weather for the above-mentioned regions and some northern and central areas.

Provinces of Shanxi, Henan, Shaanxi and Gansu will be pounded by thunderstorms on Saturday, and some areas will also see hailstones, the center said.

The NMC cautioned that local governments should take emergency measures against thunderstorms, strong wind and potential disasters, including mountain floods and landslides.

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

(APD)