Soaring heat to remain for this week

The persistent heatwave, which has smothered many parts of China for the past week, is set to linger for another week despite this year's 13th solar term of the Chinese traditional calendar, liqiu, or the start of autumn, falling on Sunday.

Liqiu usually marks when temperatures will begin to drop, and the temperature difference between day and night will become greater.

Yet searing heat will continue to scorch the country's many regions, from east to west, especially along the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, around the Sichuan basin and in Xinjiang's Turpan area, with temperatures in parts of the regions expected to exceed 40 C and possibly set new records, the National Meteorological Center announced on Sunday.