Beijing issues blue alert for rainstorms as winds, hailstorms hit southern China

Beijing: China on Saturday issued blue alert for rainstorms, the lowest in a four-tier warning system, as torrential rain, accompanied by winds and hailstorms will hit some southern parts of the country.

Parts of Guizhou, Guangxi, Hunan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian, Hebei, Henan and Yunnan will witness torrential rain, accompanied by winds and hailstorms over the next 24 hours, the National Meteorological Centre said in a statement.

The areas will see as much as 90 mm of precipitation.

The centre asked people avoid outdoor activities, and that local authorities take precautions against urban waterlogging and natural disasters including landslides and mud-rock flows.

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

As of Wednesday, continuous rainfall had left 237 people dead and 93 others missing in China, causing direct economic losses of 147 billion yuan (USD 22 billion).