BEIJING - Areas in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region may see temperatures rise to record-breaking levels in the next three days, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) said Monday.

The region has been baked under a lingering heat wave in the past week, with temperatures climbing above 35 degrees Celsius in most areas, with some reaching 45 degrees, according to the NMC.

The "rare" heat was mainly affected by strong subtropical high pressure, it explained.

The autonomous region sustained a red alert for high temperatures on Sunday for the fourth day.

Red represents the most severe weather in a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, followed by orange, yellow and blue. Under the red alert, outdoor work should be suspended due to heat stroke risk.