BEIJING, June 28 -- China has allocated 150 million yuan (about 21 million U.S. dollars) from the central budget to flood-stricken Guangxi, Anhui and Hunan, the National Development and Reform Commission said on Friday.

The commission said the funds will be used to support the restoration of damaged schools, hospitals and flood control facilities in those regions to promote the recovery of normal production and lives.

Persistent rainstorms have recently lashed parts of the country's southern areas. On Friday, the National Meteorological Center issued a red alert, the most severe in the country's weather warning system, warning of mountain torrents in Anhui and Hubei from Friday to Saturday evening.

The center also renewed an orange alert, the second-most severe weather warning, for torrential rains in Anhui, Jiangsu, Hunan, Hubei, Guizhou, Sichuan and Xizang from Friday to Saturday evening.