Xinjiang sizzles under fierce sun

Officials issue red alert as scorching weather puts public's health at risk

URUMQI - Summer's first round of heat waves hit most parts of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region on Thursday, with blisteringly high temperatures expected to torture southern Xinjiang in the next three days, according to Xinjiang Meteorological Bureau.

Because of the high temperatures, the meteorological authority of the region's capital city, Urumqi, on Wednesday issued a red alert, the most serious level in China's four-color heat warning system.