The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) on Wednesday relieved weather officials of severe alert as rain and snow were forecast to diminish for central, eastern and southern provinces.

The CMA lifted the level-three severe weather emergency plan which requires weather offices to guarantee 24-hour staffing, provide continuous updates on forecasts, alerts and disasters, and to warn and prepare the public.

The plan was initiated on Jan. 25 in units directly under the CMA and the Meteorological Bureau in 12 provinces including Guizhou, Yunnan, Hunan, Hubei, Henan, Anhui and Shaanxi provinces.

The CMA's weather warnings fall into four levels in accordance with their severity and status of emergency. Level three is "relatively severe".

The CMA called on relevant units to keep a close watch over weather conditions and make timely forecast in the coming days.

(Xinhua News Agency February 6, 2008)?