BEIJING, July 4 -- China's meteorological authority renewed its orange alert for heavy rain in the south and southwest of the country on Monday.

Heavy rain will hit the provinces of Anhui, Jiangsu, Hubei, Jiangxi, Hunan and Guizhou, and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region until Tuesday morning, with precipitation reaching 200 millimeters in some areas, the National Meteorological Center said on its website.

The center advised people living in the affected areas to take precautions against possible floods and landslides, and those living in mountainous areas to move to safe places.

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

Continuous rainfall over the past two weeks has left at least 61 people dead and 14 others missing in China.

In central Hubei Province, 34 people have died and 11 others are missing. In eastern Anhui Province, 27 people have died and another three are missing, according to local authorities.