BEIJING, June 29 (Xinhua) -- China's national observatory issued a yellow alert on Sunday, warning of downpours in some regions of the country.

From 8:00 a.m. Sunday to 8:00 a.m. Monday, heavy rains and rainstorms are forecast to hit parts of the provincial-level regions of Sichuan, Gansu, Shaanxi, Chongqing, Hubei, Zhejiang, Fujian, Anhui, Jiangsu, Shandong, Hebei and Liaoning, the National Meteorological Center said.

Parts of the Sichuan Basin are expected to experience torrential rains, with precipitation up to 300 mm, the center added.

The center has advised local authorities to take precautions for heavy rainstorms, and suggested that necessary drainage measures should be taken in urban areas and across farmlands.

On the same day, the China Meteorological Administration upgraded its emergency response for heavy rainfall from Level IV to Level III.

The administration has emphasized the need to be vigilant about the risks of secondary disasters such as mountain floods, geological disasters, and floods in small and medium rivers.

Meteorological experts have also warned the public to avoid entering potential geological disaster zones, such as mountainous areas and river valleys, in the southwestern parts of the country.

China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue. The emergency response system has four tiers, with Level I being the most severe. ■