Though typhoon Morakot brought some cool weather to east China this week, most areas of the country will continue to swelter in hot weather in the coming week, meteorologists said Thursday.

"High temperatures will continue because the subtropical high pressure remains stable in the most areas south of the Yangtze River," said Yao Xuexiang, deputy director of the Central Meteorological Station.

The CMS forecast temperatures of 35 to 37 degrees Celsius would linger in regions like Chongqing and Sichuan and the lower and middle reaches of the Yangtze River in next two to three days, rising to highs of 38 to 39 degrees.

Recent rainfalls in east China had reduced the area of sweltering weather and it is expected to become a little cooler before Aug.10, but the heatwave would pick up and intensify after Aug.11, according to the CMS.

"It is an abnormal summer heatwave in its scope and duration, compared with previous years," Yao said.

Since late June, heatwave has covered most areas of China, especially Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangdong, Hunan and Hubei provinces, where temperatures exceeded 40 degrees Celsius.

CMS statistics show temperatures in the areas south of the Yangtze River this summer were one to three degrees higher than the same period of previous years.

The month-long heatwave has caused droughts and power shortages in southern and eastern China. More than 3.71 million hectares of farmland were hit by drought while 6.3 million people and 2.7 million head of livestock lacked drinking water.

"The sweltering weather lingering in southern China for the last month is turning out to be a disaster," Yao said, adding that authorities should strengthen efforts to prevent heatstroke and provide relief to drought-hit areas.

(Xinhua News Agency August 8, 2003)