BEIJING - China's top meteorological authority is maintaining a blue alert for rainstorm on Sunday as heavy rain will continue to batter parts of the country.

Heavy rain is likely to hit provinces of Yunnan, Jiangsu and Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Hubei and Shanghai Municipality, with the precipitation in southwest Yunnan expected to reach 100 to 150 mm from Sunday to Monday, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) forecast.

The NMC advised people in these areas to take necessary measures to protect themselves from rain and lightening.

It also alerted local authorities to step up preparatory work against mountain floods, landslides, mud-rock flows, and urban waterlogging.

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