China issues highest alert for high temperatures

BEIJING: China's national observatory on Sunday continued to issue a red alert for high temperatures, the most severe warning in its four-tier warning system, as sweltering heatwaves still linger in a dozen of provincial-level regions.

It is the 10th consecutive day that the National Meteorological Center has issued a red alert for high temperatures, Xinhua news agency reported.

During the daytime on Sunday, parts of Gansu, Shaanxi, Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian, Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Yunnan, Guangdong and Guangxi will experience high temperatures of 35 to 39 degrees Celsius, according to the center.

In some areas of Shaanxi, Sichuan, Chongqing, Hubei, Hunan, Anhui, Jiangxi and Zhejiang, temperatures may exceed 40 degrees Celsius, said the center.

It advised local authorities to take emergency measures against heatwaves, suspend outdoor work exposed to high temperatures, pay close attention to fire safety and take particular care of vulnerable groups.

The ongoing heatwaves that swept across large parts of China are forecast to wane gradually starting from August 26, according to the China Meteorological Administration.

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