Rescuers evacuate a woman and her child in Chaohu city, Anhui province on July 2, 2016. [Photo by Li Tinghe and Ma Fengcheng/chinadaily.com.cn]

BEIJING -- China's meteorological authority on Sunday renewed its orange alert for heavy rain across much of the southern regions in the coming 24 hours.

Thunderstorms will hit the provinces of Hubei, Anhui, Jiangsu, Hunan, Jiangxi, Guizhou and Guangxi Zhuang autonomous Rregion from Sunday morning to Monday morning, with precipitation reaching up to 220 millimeters in some areas, the National Meteorological Center said on its website.

The center suggested people reduce outdoor activities and take precautions against possible floods and landslides.

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

China issues warning on geological disasters

China's weather authorities on Saturday evening warned of possible geological disasters in the south and southwest of the country as heavy rain offers no respite for the region.

The National Meteorological Center (NMC) and the Ministry of Water Resources warned of high risks of mountain torrents in parts of Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Yunnan and Tibet from Saturday evening to Sunday evening, suggesting residents take necessary precautions.

The NMC on Saturday evening renewed its orange alert, the second highest of the four-tier warning system, for storms, forecasting torrential rain in parts of Anhui, Jiangsu, Hubei, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guizhou and Guangxi from Saturday evening to Sunday evening, with precipitation reaching 280 millimeters in some areas.

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