The National Forest Fire Prevention Headquarters of China issued its second highest warning Friday, an orange alert, resulting in increased forest fire prevention work in four northern provinces due to the prolonged drought.

With higher temperatures and less rainfall compared to the same period in past years, local authorities in northern China's Heilongjiang, Hebei and Shanxi Provinces and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region have been urged to increase supervision and control of sources of fire as the risks for possible forest fires have increased.

According to the headquarters, the drought will continue in the central and southern sections of North China and the northwestern areas of Northeast China with temperatures ranging from 35 to 37 degrees Celsius over the next three days.

In areas of northeast Inner Mongolia and northwest Heilongjiang, the temperature could even exceed 38 degrees Celsius, according to officials.