Southern China will likely continue to experience high temperatures, while some areas in northern regions may see some relief due to rainfall, China's meteorological authority said on Sunday.

Over the next three days, the heat wave will continue to bake Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui and Sichuan provinces, where some areas could see temperatures reach 37 C to 39 C, the National Meteorological Center said on Sunday.

In the Turpan Basin in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, the temperature is expected to reach 41 C, the center said.

It issued a yellow alert on Saturday in response to the searing heat.

According to the national four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, red represents the most severe weather, followed by orange, yellow and blue.

"Residents of affected areas are expected to reduce longtime exposure to sunlight, watch for symptoms of heat illness and increase liquid intake," said Zhou Bingzhi, director of the emergency department at Xinhua Hospital in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.

In northern China, heavy rainfall will be widespread over the next three days, the center said, warning that strengthened efforts need to be made to prevent damage in urban areas and ground saturation in mountainous regions that can lead to mudslides.

wangyanfei@chinadaily.com.cn