BEIJING • China's national observatory renewed a blue alert for rainstorms yesterday, as incessant rain continued to wreak havoc in vast stretches of the country.

From yesterday afternoon to today, heavy rain and rainstorms are expected in parts of Sichuan, Chongqing, Shaanxi, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Yunnan, the National Meteorological Centre said.

It warned that some areas of Chongqing and Hubei will experience up to 180mm of daily rainfall.

Some of the other regions will see up to 60mm of hourly precipitation, accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds, the centre said.

It also advised the local authorities to remain alert for possible flooding, landslides and mudslides, and recommended halting outdoor operations in hazardous areas.

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

Since June, continuous downpours have lashed large parts of southern China, and the waters of many rivers in the affected regions have exceeded warning levels.

Due to the disastrous flooding, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters raised the emergency response to level II on Sunday.

The heavy downpours have affected 38.7 million people across the country, with 141 people missing or dead as of Monday, according to the latest national data available from the Ministry of Emergency Management.

About 29,000 houses have been damaged.

Floods in the southern provinces are expected to recede within the next 30 days as the rain is forecast to move into north China, according to the China Meteorological Administration.

XINHUA, CHINA DAILY/ASIA NEWS NETWORK