China renews yellow alert for high temperatures

BEIJING -- China's national observatory Wednesday renewed a yellow alert for high temperatures, as the country continued to swelter amid the dog days of sanfu, the hottest period of summer which is expected to last until late August.

On Wednesday, parts of Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi and Hunan are expected to see temperatures as high as 37 to 39 degrees Celsius, the National Meteorological Center said.

In some parts of the above regions, temperatures may even hit 40 degrees Celsius, the center said.

The center advised people to avoid outdoor activities during the peak of the afternoon heat, and said workers exposed to high temperatures should take protective measures.

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