China issues highest alert for heat

China on Saturday issued a red alert, the most severe warning in its four-tier weather warning system, for high temperatures across the country due to an ongoing heatwave.

Parts of Shaanxi, Sichuan, Chongqing, Henan, Hubei, Shandong, Anhui, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guizhou, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia are expected to experience high temperatures of 35 to 39 degrees Celsius, Xinhua news agency quoted the National Meteorological Centre as saying.

Temperatures in parts of Shaanxi, Sichuan, Chongqing, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui, Jiangsu, Shanghai and Zhejiang may surpass 40 or even 42 degrees Celsius, the Centre said.

It advised local authorities to take emergency measures against the heatwave, suspend outdoor work that is exposed to high temperatures, pay close attention to fire prevention measures, and take particular care of vulnerable groups.

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