Thundershower was forecast to hit the eastern part of Beijing before 5:00 PM on Tuesday, moving in south-to-north direction, according to the Beijing Meteorological Observatory.

It gave yellow alert, or the second-degree message for bad weather, to the thundershower forecast.

Beijing has four degrees of alert for special weather: blue, yellow, orange, and the highest degree of red.

(Xinhua News Agency July 8, 2008)