NORTH China’s Hebei Province issued a red alert for high temperatures Sunday afternoon, the highest in the national color-coded alert system, as temperatures in parts of the province are expected to rise above 40 degrees Celsius.

The average number of high-temperature days, referring to daily maximum temperatures at 35 degrees Celsius or above, hit 17.5 days in Hebei as of July 7 this year. This is 1.3 times higher than for the same period in normal years and the highest on record since 1961, according to the provincial climate center.

The highest daily temperature at nine national meteorological stations in the province has reached or surpassed their historical extremes.

Central China’s Henan Province also renewed a red alert for high temperatures Sunday. Several places in the province will see temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius or more in the following days.

Henan has been experiencing a persistent heatwave since July 5, said Zheng Shilin, deputy director of the provincial meteorological bureau.

China has been hit by heatwaves of rare intensity this year, especially in northern areas, which are traditionally cooler than the south. Since mid-June, an onslaught of red alerts for high temperatures in northern cities like Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang and Jinan has made social media headlines.

The country is set to see scorching heatwaves for the rest of July and August in regions including North China and Southwest China, weather forecasters say. (Xinhua)