The National Meteorological Center (NMC) on Monday continued the heat-wave alert for most parts of southern China.

Temperatures in the Sichuan Basin, Chongqing Municipality, Shaanxi Province and other regions in southern and central northern China will reach 35 to 37 degrees Celsius on Monday, the NMC said.

Some regions in the provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan, Fujian, as well as Chongqing, are expected to experience temperatures of 38 to 39 degrees Celsius, the center said.

It has urged residents in these regions to refrain from outdoor activities during the early afternoon, when temperatures will reach their peak. It has also advised outdoor laborers to take precautions against the hot weather.

According to media reports, the temperature in downtown Chongqing hit a historical high of 38.9 degrees Celsius on Sunday, the highest level for early July since the city began keeping records in 1951.

Chongqing municipal government has opened 107 underground sites for residents to shelter from the heat. Each site is equipped with drinking water, books, TV sets and emergency medicine.

In Shanghai, also suffering from the heat wave, authorities will provide a monthly allowance of 200 yuan (about $31) to those who have to work in places where temperatures reach above 33 degrees Celsius.

Meteorological authorities in Jiangxi said 75 counties and cities in the province saw temperatures of over 35 degrees Celsius Monday. Twenty-two of them have issued a heat-wave alert.

(Xinhua News Agency July 4, 2011)