China's Central Meteorological Station Thursday urged authorities in rain-soaked southwestern regions to prepare for geological disasters as widespread thunderstorms were forecast in the next two days.

Photo taken early March 21, 2010 shows a thunder flash lighting up the sky over Luoping County, southwest China's Yunnan Province. [Xinhua file photo]

The regions must be on high alert to prevent geological disasters such as landslides, the observatory said.

Thunderstorms were expected to hit areas in 18 provincial regions across the country during the next two days, including Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Tibet Autonomous Region, and Sichuan, Qinghai, Yunnan, Fujian, Shandong and Anhui provinces, it said.

Some parts of Shanxi, Henan, Shandong, Hainan and Yunnan provinces were set to experience torrential rain or hail, it said.

The Ministry of Land and Resources also issued a notice Thursday, urging local authorities to enhance prevention of geological disasters to avoid casualties and minimize losses.

According to the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, rainstorms and floods have killed 125 people and left 34 people missing in China so far this year. The deaths were mainly attributed to landslides in mountainous areas caused by heavy rains, it said.

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