A girl plays at a fountain in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, on July 3, 2010. Hot weather swept most regions in northern, central and southern China these days, with temperature of some regions soaring to 39 degrees celsius. [Xinhua]

China's weather forecast authorities on Sunday said the heat that had been bearing down on many parts of the country would continue for a few more days.

Sweltering weather, with temperatures over 35 degrees Celsius, could be expected in at least 13 provinces and regions across China, the National Meteorological Center said.

In Beijing, the local meteorological bureau upgraded the heat alert on Sunday from blue to yellow, two steps below the top alert. It said the maximum temperature on Monday might shoot up to 37 degrees.

Sunday's temperatures did not exceed 36.8 degrees, but residents in the capital were already complaining.

"Since last Friday, it has been extremely hot outside from 8 o'clock in the morning to 10 o'clock in the evening. I have to turn on the air-conditioning at home all the time," said a Beijing resident surnamed Zhao.

High temperatures were also reported in several provinces on Sunday. In eastern Zhejiang Province, temperatures in eight counties and cities reached 39 degrees.

In Changchun, capital of northern Jilin Province, thousands of residents chose to spend their weekends in the city's libraries to dodge the heat.

Meanwhile, the sales of air-conditioners became hot items in the northern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

(Xinhua News Agency July 5, 2010)