Weather authorities issued a weather alert, warning of heavy rain in southern parts of China Sunday.

The National Meteorological Center on Saturday issued a downpour alert for regions along the Yangtze River, including Jiangxi Province, Hunan Province, Anhui Province, Zhejiang Province and Guizhou Province .

From Thursday to Saturday, heavy rain pounded China's Hubei Province, Jiangsu Province, Anhui Province, and Chongqing Municipality.

Heavy rain hits Nanjing city of Jiangsu Province, China on June 10, 2017. /VCG Photo

Four people died and two are missing in Hubei, and two died and another missing in Chongqing, authorities said Saturday.

Heavy rains, coupled with windstorms, caused floods and landslides in several cities in Hubei. A total of 171 houses collapsed, and about 649 people have been evacuated, according to the provincial civil affairs department.

In Chongqing, over 1,300 people have been relocated because of damages to their houses, the municipal flood control and disaster relief headquarters said.

Daily precipitation in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu Province, on Saturday reached 245.1 millimeters, setting a record in 66 years, according to the city's meteorological station.

At least 16 cases of inundation in downtown Nanjing were reported, and more than 120 flights were delayed or canceled. The city issued a red alert for the heavy rains on Saturday morning, and lifted the warning around 6 p.m.

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

(Source: Xinhua)