Alerts maintain as heat wave lingers in multiple Chinese regions

BEIJING, June 12 (Xinhua) -- A lingering heat wave continued to scorch many places in China, bringing record-breaking temperatures and leaving millions under heat advisories.

The intense heat, which began on June 8, has placed north China's Hebei Province under this year's first orange and red heat alerts since the past weekend.

The provincial meteorological observatory maintained the red alert for high temperatures at 11 a.m. Wednesday, saying that the highest temperatures in Baoding, Langfang and some southern areas could rise to 43 degrees Celsius Wednesday afternoon.

Yu Changwen, deputy director of the Hebei climate center, noted that weather forecast shows the average temperature in most parts of Hebei this summer is about 1 degree Celsius higher than usual, with several rounds of heat waves expected between June and mid-July.

The Hebei meteorological department said the number of areas suffering from high temperatures in Hebei is likely to expand with mounting intensity in the coming days. Though the heat is expected to ease on Friday and Saturday, the highest temperature will still be around 35 degrees Celsius.

In the neighboring Henan Province, the orange alert was upgraded to the red one -- the highest level of China's three-tier warning system for high temperatures -- at 8 a.m. on Wednesday.

The Henan provincial meteorological observatory has warned of a maximum daytime temperature of over 40 degrees Celsius in several areas, advising outdoor work be suspended and long-time outdoor activities be avoided due to health concerns.

The sustaining heat has also put Shandong, in east China, under a drought alert.

According to the provincial hydrological center, the average precipitation in Shandong in early June was just 1.3 mm. Since the beginning of this year, the average precipitation in the province is 98.8 mm, 27 percent less than usual.