GUANGZHOU - Scorching sun replaced pouring rain at the weekend, as a heat wave hit southern parts of the country, the Guangdong weather bureau said on Monday.

    Xiao Weijun, a forecaster with the bureau, said the unusually hot weather in South China, which just last week was inundated by heavy floods, was due to a subtropical high-pressure belt.

    Guangdong, Hunan and Fujian provinces, and the Guangxi autonomous region all reported highs of 35 C and above at the weekend, much higher than the June average of 26-33 C, Xiao said.

    In Guangxi, several cities, including the capital Nanning, saw the mercury rise to 35 C on Sunday, the hottest day of the year.

    In Changsha, capital of Hunan province, the temperature on Sunday soared to 38 C.

    However, the local weather bureau said rain is forecast for the coming days.

    In Guangdong, 51 cities and counties experienced a heat wave, with 36 of them, including provincial capital Guangzhou, issuing yellow warning signals, indicating the temperature was above 35 C.

    The warning system has three levels - yellow, red and black - indicating temperatures of above 35, 37, and 38 C, respectively.

    Xiao said the temperature in Guangzhou reached 36 C on Monday, the highest this summer.

    Lin Liangxun, chief forecaster with the Guangdong weather bureau, said as well as the