China remained on alert for extremely hot weather after heat waves swept throughout the country at the weekend, CCTV reported Monday.

According to national weather service forecasts, temperatures in some parts of Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Fujian provinces will reach 40 degrees Celsius in the next two to three days, while temperatures elsewhere will range from 35 to 38 degrees Celsius.

Searing heat has become one of the biggest worries for the nation, which is already straining power supplies. Shanghai was forced to adopt power rationing in some areas Monday after power demand hit a record high of 15,000 megawatts.

Relevant departments have been warned of the extreme hot weather and are being advised to design effective measures to avoid possible blackouts.

In Southwest China's Chongqing, where the temperature hit 38 degrees Celsius on Monday, some service centers have stocked up on health drinks and medicine to treat heat fatigue. The medical aids, along with booklets carrying health tips, would also be handy for taxi drivers, CCTV said.

Although Beijing would be partially relieved of sweltering temperatures with occasional showers, sultry weather would still dominate the next couple of days, the program said.

Guangzhou will experience another scorching week after the temperature hit a record high of 39.1 degrees Celsius on July 1.

On Sunday, a young man in Guangzhou fell unconscious while playing soccer under the blazing sun and died on the pitch despite attempts to revive him.

Wang Zehua, a deputy to the provincial people's congress, put forward a proposal, suggesting authorities should be responsible for failing to take effective measures to avoid these incidents.

(Shenzhen Daily August 10, 2004)