The National Meteorological Center renewed blue alerts for rainstorms and severe convective weather on Thursday morning, warning of continued heavy rainfall and thunderstorms across southern China over the next two days.

From Thursday to Friday, parts of areas south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and South China are expected to experience intense downpours and severe convective weather.

Between 8 am Thursday and 8 am Friday, heavy to torrential rain is forecast in parts of Guangdong, Fujian, Guizhou and Gansu provinces, as well as Chongqing municipality and Henan province. Some areas in southeastern Guangdong could see extreme rainfall of 100 to 140 millimeters, according to the center.

Sheng Jie, chief forecaster at the National Meteorological Center, said the weather system is driven by strong flows of warm and moist air, creating favorable conditions for heavy rainfall and localized downpours.

Rainfall in areas south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River is expected to ease on Friday, but thunderstorms will persist in Guangdong, especially in coastal areas. Authorities warned the public to remain vigilant against sudden downpours and avoid going outdoors during peak periods of severe convective weather.

Starting Friday, a new round of widespread precipitation will sweep across central and eastern China. Regions including parts of southwestern China are expected to see heavy to torrential rain, with some areas experiencing extreme rainfall accompanied by strong winds.

Meanwhile, parts of northwestern and northern China, as well as the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, are expected to see moderate to heavy rain.

Some areas, particularly along Guangdong's coast, may face overlapping rounds of heavy rainfall in the coming week, increasing the risk of weather-related disasters.

Sheng said mountainous regions in Chongqing city, as well as Hubei and Guizhou provinces are especially vulnerable to secondary disasters such as flash floods, landslides and river surges due to prolonged rainfall.

Authorities advised residents to closely monitor weather updates and avoid low-lying areas such as river valleys during heavy rain.

Farmers were urged to improve drainage and take advantage of breaks in rainfall to harvest mature wheat and rapeseed, while guarding against potential crop damage from strong winds and intense rainfall.