China renews orange alert for high temperatures

Beijing [China], August 26 : China on Friday renewed an orange alert for high temperatures, as sweltering heat waves continue in many regions of the country.
Parts of Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong are expected to experience high temperatures of 35 to 39 degrees Celsius, Xinhua news agency reported citing China's National Meteorological Center.
During the daytime, temperatures in Sichuan, Chongqing, Hunan, Jiangxi and Fujian may exceed 40 degrees Celsius, the meteorological centre said.
The centre advised the public to avoid outdoor activities during high-temperature periods and suggested workers shorten periods where they are exposed to high temperatures.
Local governments have been advised to take protective steps against fires triggered by electrical overloads.
China has a four-tier, colour-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
Amid high temperatures in various parts of the country, the Beijing authorities have advised local authorities to take emergency measures against heatwaves, suspend outdoor work that is exposed to high temperatures, pay close attention to fire safety and take particular care of vulnerable groups.
Sun Shao, a senior research fellow from the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, told the Global Times, that this year's heat wave is the strongest since China started meteorological observations in 1961, and the longest.
Last week that the Yangtze River basin had the lowest summer rainfall in six decades, an official from the Ministry of Water Resources (MWR) said.
Since the beginning of July, the south, central and southwest regions of China have experienced droughts as a result of low precipitation and high temperatures, according to the National Meteorological Center.
The centre observed that droughts above moderate level now linger in some areas of Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guizhou, Chongqing, Sichuan and Tibet.
Dry weather will continue in the aforementioned regions in the following three days, it said.
The observatory advised these regions to keep a close eye on meteorological changes and produce artificial rainfall when necessary. It also warned of the risks of wildfires.
China's national observatory this week said the ongoing heatwaves that swept across large parts of China are forecast to wane after August 25.
The National Meteorological Center predicted that China's southern regions, hardest hit by the heatwaves, might see high temperatures in fewer places and a reduction in intensity on August 26 and August 27.