HEAVY rains are returning to the country's northeastern regions after several days of respite, China's Central Meteorological Center said yesterday.

The center issued a second "most urgent" alert yesterdaywarning the northeasternprovinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning to expect heavy rains or rainstorms until today.

Provinces and regions including Sichuan, Shaanxi, Shandong and Yunnan will also see downpours until later today, forecasters said. The center warned local authorities in those areas to guard against mudflows, landslides and flooding.

Meanwhile, China's southern regions are being baked. The maximum temperature in Shanghai reached almost 40 degrees Celsius yesterday.

Chongqing city and parts of Zhejiang Province also saw maximum temperatures rising, exceeding 40 degrees, according to the weather center data.

• yesterday [´jestədi] n.&ad.昨天；前不久 (初中英语单词)
• meanwhile [´mi:n´wail] n.&ad.其间；同时 (初中英语单词)
• province [´prɔvins] n.省；领域；范围 (初中英语单词)
• maximum [´mæksiməm] n.极点 a.最大的 (高中英语单词)
• warning [´wɔ:niŋ] n.警告；前兆 a.预告的 (英语四级单词)
• exceeding [ik´si:diŋ] a.超越的，非常的 (英语四级单词)
• northeastern [,nɔ:θ´i:stən] ad.&a.向东北(的) (英语六级单词)
• respite [´respait] n.暂缓 vt.缓期执行 (英语六级单词)