China renews orange alert for high temperatures

BEIJING -- China's national observatory on Friday continued to issue an orange alert for high temperatures as an intense heatwave lingers in multiple regions of the country.

During daylight hours on Friday, parts of Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Sichuan, Chongqing, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian and Guizhou are expected to experience high temperatures over 35 degrees Celsius, according to the National Meteorological Center.

Temperatures in parts of Shaanxi, Sichuan, Chongqing, Hubei, Hunan, Anhui, Jiangsu and Zhejiang may surpass 40 degrees Celsius, said the center.

The center advised the public to avoid outdoor activities during high-temperature periods and suggested workers shorten the duration of exposure to high temperatures outdoors.

Measures should also be taken to prevent fires caused by excessive power loads on wires and transformers due to excessive electricity consumption, it said.

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