The summer heat wave is forecast to continue this week and expand over more of the country, and people are being warned to protect themselves.

On Monday, the National Meteorological Center issued a new yellow alert - the lowest level in a three-tier warning system for heat. The alert, initially issued on Friday, means temperatures over 35 C can be expected for three more days.

North China, Northwest China, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and areas immediately south of the Yangtze River have seen temperatures above 35 C.