The current heatwave is expected to last at least another 10 days, forecasters have said.

Temperatures yesterday reached 38.5 degrees Celsius — having on Monday hit 40 degrees in the Pudong New Area, bringing a scorching end to July after weeks of unseasonably cool weather.

Over the next few days, temperatures of up to 39 degrees are likely, said the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau.

As the subtropical high pressure front responsible for the heatwave moves north, the high will dip to around 36 degrees from next Tuesday.

This summer’s second orange high temperature warning — the second in a three-tier system — was issued just before 8:50am yesterday.

By 10:30am, the mercury had passed 35 degrees in most of the city.

Benchmark Xujiahui weather station recorded a high of 38.5 degrees, while in Pudong temperatures reached 38.6 degrees.

The lowest temperature was recorded in Chongming County where the mercury peaked at a still pretty hot 36.6 degrees.

Today, the high should be around 38 degrees, while between tomorrow and Sunday temperatures will range from 28 to 37 degrees.

There will be a mix of sunny and overcast weather over this period, said forecasters.

Meanwhile, local hospitals have reported an increase in patients this month, though the link to the weather was not made clear.

According to data compiled by the local health and family planning commission, several major hospitals — including Zhongshan, Huashan, Ruijin, Renji and Shanghai No.6 People’s Hospital — each reported daily numbers seeking emergency treatment reaching around 10,000.

Xinhua Hospital and Renji Hospital saw their numbers reach a record 16,000.

To tackle the increase, Ruijin Hospital is now providing a registration service at 5:45am, 15 minutes earlier than before, while Zhongshan Hospital has canceled lunch breaks.

Fudan University’s Children’s Hospital reported its daily average patient number rising sharply to 7,000 in July, after the school summer vacation started.