The city of Shanghai experienced a record-high temperature of 40.6 degrees Celsius Friday afternoon.

The record temperature was recorded at a meteorological station in the city's Xujiahui area, the municipal meteorological center said, adding that the temperature was the highest recorded in the 140 years since the city started keeping records.

The previous record was set in 1934, when a temperature of 40.2 degrees Celsius was recorded.

The city issued a red high temperature alert on Friday.

The neighboring city of Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, experienced a record-high temperature of 40.4 degrees Celsius on Thursday.

China uses a three-tier color-coded warning system for high temperatures, with red representing the hottest weather, followed by orange and yellow.