BEIJING - The meteorological authority on Monday issued a yellow alert for heavy rain in southern China in the next 24 hours.

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

Some parts of Hubei, Henan and Anhui provinces will see 100 to 150 millimeters of rain within 24 hours.

The NMC cautioned that local governments should take emergency measures against storms, cut off outdoor power supply in dangerous regions and prepare for potential disasters, including mountain floods and landslides.

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