China renews alert as high temperatures hit northern regions

BEIJING, June 21 (Xinhua) -- China's national observatory on Tuesday renewed an orange alert for high temperatures, as heatwaves continued to sweep the northern part of the country.

During the daytime on Tuesday, parts of Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shandong, Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu, Hubei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Xinjiang and Hainan will experience high temperatures that are expected to reach 35 to 39 degrees Celsius, the National Meteorological Center said.

Some areas in Hebei and Shandong will see temperatures reach over 40 degrees Celsius, the center said.

The center advised avoiding outdoor activities during high-temperature periods in the afternoon and suggested that workers exposed to high temperatures take necessary protective measures.

Meanwhile, heavy rainfall that battered the country's southern regions recently will abate from Wednesday, with the main rain belt moving north and downpours expected to hit parts of Inner Mongolia, Jilin and Liaoning in north China.

However, experts still cautioned against the negative impact of floods in small and medium-sized rivers, urban and rural waterlogging, and landslides in mountain areas, urging the public to stay away from meteorological disaster-prone regions.

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