MOST regions of China are forecast to experience their first heat wave of the year this week, with maximum temperatures soaring to 37 degrees Celsius in some areas, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) said Monday.

An El Nino system is building along the equator in the eastern Pacific Ocean, which could send global average temperatures soaring to a record high this year or in 2024, the CMA said.

Several regions, including Beijing and Tianjin municipalities, Hebei and Henan provinces and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, are expected to see temperatures rising above 35 degrees Celsius today and tomorrow. Northern parts of Shandong are forecast to experience temperatures around 37 degrees Celsius, according to weather forecasters.

Large parts of the country have seen a rapid increase in their maximum temperatures, with Jinan in Shandong Province and Xingtai in Hebei Province hitting 37 degrees Celsius yesterday.

The World Meteorological Organization had said the likelihood of an El Nino occurring in the second half of the year is increasing.(China Daily)