BEIJING - China's national observatory issued a yellow alert for high temperatures on Thursday, as heatwaves are forecast to scorch vast regions of the country.

During daylight hours on Thursday, temperatures in parts of Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Anhui, Jiangsu, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, Fujian and Hainan are expected to hit 35 to 37 degrees Celsius, the National Meteorological Center said.

According to the forecast, temperatures in some of these regions will even exceed 40 degrees Celsius.