LANZHOU -- On Wednesday, Northwest China's Gansu province issued a red alert for geological disasters and an orange alert for mountain torrents. The province also upgraded its emergency response measures, according to local authorities.

At 6 pm Wednesday, Gansu's department of water resources upgraded the emergency control for flood control from level IV to level III for cities and prefectures, including Gannan, Tianshui, Dingxi, Longnan and Pingliang.

From 4 pm Tuesday to 4 pm Wednesday, downpours already battered Gansu. Additionally, from 4 pm Wednesday to 4 pm Thursday, heavy rains and torrential rainfalls are expected to hit the provincial capital of Lanzhou, Tianshui, and other regions, with maximum hourly precipitation reaching up to 35 mm, according to the provincial meteorological administration.

The office of Gansu's headquarters for flood control and drought relief predicted there is a high possibility of mountain torrent disasters occurring in areas such as Gannan, Tianshui, Dingxi, Longnan and Pingliang, from 5 pm Wednesday to 5 pm Thursday.

The provincial department of water resources warned that there is also a high risk for river floods and urban and rural waterlogging, and urged relevant departments across the province to closely monitor weather changes and take preventive measures such as real-time monitoring, flood control warnings and evacuation.

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