LA PAZ, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- Bolivia's National Meteorology and Hydrology Service on Tuesday issued a red alert for seven of the country's nine departments due to a coming heat wave.

The red alert warns of potential risks from the extreme weather event from Wednesday through Sunday, the agency's forecaster Ana Mendoza told Xinhua.

The agency urged the population to take preventive measures and follow authorities' instructions, Mendoza said.

Departments affected include Santa Cruz, Beni, Pando, Tarija, Chuquisaca, Cochabamba and northern La Paz, where maximum temperatures are expected to reach between 38 and 44 degrees Celsius.

This type of alert is issued when rare meteorological phenomena, with exceptional intensity and high risk for the population, threaten to affect daily activities, said Mendoza.

Several Bolivian regions have experienced record-setting high temperatures since September, which could be surpassed over the coming days, she noted.

El Nino, a naturally occurring weather phenomenon in the tropical Pacific Ocean, combined with global warming, has contributed to rising temperatures in South America. Enditem

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