THE city’s kindergartens, elementary and middle schools will be forced to close in the event of a top-level storm alert during the upcoming rainy season, local authorities said yesterday.

Shanghai has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue.

If there is a red alert for a typhoon or rainstorm, parks will also be closed, while all outdoor construction work will be suspended, according to a draft amendment to the city’s flood-prevention regulation that was reviewed yesterday by local lawmakers.