BEIJING — Meteorological authorities on Aug 17 warned of possible geological disasters in Southwest China as heavy rain is expected in the region.

The National Meteorological Center (NMC) and the Ministry of Land and Resources warned of high risks of geological disasters in quake-hit Jiuzhaigou county and central areas of Sichuan province as well as parts of Gansu, Tibet, Yunnan, Guangxi, Jiangxi and Anhui from Aug 17 to the evening of Aug 18.

A 7.0-magnitude quake rocked Jiuzhaigou county on Aug 8, leaving 24 dead and hundreds injured.

The NMC revoked a blue alert for a rainstorm on Aug 17, but the forecast for rainstorms in North, East and South China will continue.

People in rain-affected areas should take precautions against possible mountain torrents, mud-rock flows and landslides, the NMC warned.

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

Over the past years, China has suffered some large-scale natural disasters, from extreme weather to geological events, causing huge losses of life and property.