China's weather bureau Tuesday issued a yellow alert over the country's central and southern regions for high temperatures, the 50th such alert in two months.
The National Meteorological Center (NMC) said temperatures in most parts of Northwest, Central, Southwest and Southeast China exceed 35 C, and will soar to 40 C in Chongqing Municipality, Sichuan, Guangxi, Hunan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang and Fujian provinces.
China has a four-tier weather warning system, with a red alert representing the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue alerts. The NMC has issued 20 orange and 30 yellow alerts since July 1, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
The country's average July temperature was 22.7 C, 0.9 C higher than the same period last year, and the third highest since 1961. Forty-seven cities and counties hit record-high temperatures in August.
The NMC's Fang Chong told Xinhua the high temperatures are caused by a stronger subtropical high-pressure belt, which is affecting more regions than last year.
The NMC has reminded authorities to be prepared for possible fires triggered by electricity overloads. It has also advised the public to avoid prolonged exposure outdoors.
