BEIJING, July 23 -- China's national observatory issued a yellow alert for rainstorms on Wednesday evening, warning of downpours in some regions across the country.

From 8:00 p.m. Wednesday to 8:00 p.m. Thursday, heavy rain and rainstorms are forecast to hit parts of Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Tianjin, Beijing, Henan, Shandong, Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Yunnan, Guangxi, Hainan, Qinghai and Heilongjiang, the National Meteorological Center said.

Parts of Inner Mongolia, Hebei and Sichuan are expected to experience torrential rain, with precipitation up to 200 mm, the center added.

Some of the aforementioned regions may experience short-term heavy rainfall, with hourly precipitation exceeding 70 mm, accompanied by thunderstorms and gales.

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.

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