Sweltering temperatures have left three dead and 20 others hospitalized with heatstroke in Hami prefecture of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in five days.

A local weather forecaster said the temperature in Yiwu county was 44.2 degree Celsius last Sunday and the ground temperature hit a scorching 72.4 degree Celsius.

The Hami weather authority issued a warning last Thursday of high temperatures and to avoid working outdoors.

Most of those suffering are migrants from areas beyond Xinjiang who are unaccustomed to the heat but have not taken any preventive measures, according to the hospital.