China renews heavy rain warning following casualties

BEIJING -- A yellow alert for heavy rain will remain in place in Southern China for the next 24 hours, meteorological authorities said Tuesday, as 22 deaths have been reported there after days of storms.

From 2 p.m. Tuesday to Wednesday, storms are expected across a vast region along the Yangtze River, including the provinces of Jiangsu, Anhui and Hubei, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) said.

Some parts of Jiangsu and Anhui will see up to 150 millimeters of rain within 24 hours.

Heavy rain is also expected in Tibet, Yunnan, Sichuan, and Chongqing in the southwest and Heilongjiang in the northeast, according to the NMC.

The center cautioned that local governments should take measures in case of floods or landslides.

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

Heavy rains have left 22 people dead and 15 others missing in south China since Saturday, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said on Monday.