THE record-setting heat wave continued yesterday as the temperature hit 39.8 degrees Celsius.

It was the fourth consecutive day with the mercury hitting at least 39 degrees, the first time that's happened since the city began keeping records 137 years ago, the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau said.

Today the high will drop to 35 degrees and tomorrow will be 36 degrees, the bureau said. Showers or thunderstorms are possible both days.

The bureau's forecast called for a weekly high of 37 degrees.

Yesterday was this year's 21st high-temperature day, defined as 35 degrees or above.

The bureau issued an orange heat alert, the second highest of a three-level system, at 7:50am. A yellow thunderstorm alert and a yellow gale alert were issued in the afternoon.

The mercury dropped yesterday evening after a thunderstorm.

Meanwhile, an empty makeshift warehouse-like building was blown apart by a thunderstorm, which included hail, in Baoshan District. The storm hit around 1:40pm and lasted 30 minutes. No one was injured.

The storm was strong enough to cause a power failure in a village in the district.

The power supplier said electricity resumed in the village at about 4pm.

• yesterday [´jestədi] n.&ad.昨天；前不久 (初中英语单词)
• mercury [´mə:kjuri] n.汞；水银柱 (初中英语单词)
• bureau [´bjuərəu] n.局；编辑部；事务所 (初中英语单词)
• weekly [´wi:kli] a.&ad.每周一次(的) (初中英语单词)
• system [´sistəm] n.系统，体系，制度 (初中英语单词)
• meanwhile [´mi:n´wail] n.&ad.其间；同时 (初中英语单词)
• failure [´feiljə] n.失败；衰竭；破产 (初中英语单词)
• electricity [i,lek´trisiti] n.电；电学；电流 (高中英语单词)
• consecutive [kən´sekjutiv] a.连续的；连贯的 (英语六级单词)
• forecast [´fɔ:kɑ:st] vt.&n.预测；预报 (英语六级单词)