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BEIJING, May 17 (Xinhua) -- China's meteorological authority issued a yellow alert Wednesday, as a heat wave is expected to sweep across many regions of the country from Thursday.

Temperatures are expected to rise above 35 degrees Celsius in Beijing and Tianjin as well as parts of Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Liaoning and Shandong, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) said.

Some areas will see temperatures reach between 37 and 40 degrees Celsius, it added.

The NMC advised people in the affected regions to take precautions against heat stroke and fire.

A cold front starting from Saturday is expected to disperse the heat wave and lower temperatures.

China has a four-tier weather warning system, with red representing the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue.