Shanghai yesterday reported its 19th consecutive day with temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius, making it the city's longest heat wave in 50 years.

　　Today's high is forecast to be between 34 and 35 degrees.

　　Yesterday's high was recorded at 35.7 degrees in the city's Xujiahui area, according to the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau.

　　The bureau's chief meteorologist, Dai Xinfu, said a low-pressure system arriving from Shangdong Province could weaken the sub-tropical high-pressure system responsible for the heat wave, providing a little relief from scorching tem-peratures.

　　The system could also bring some rain to the city, Dai said.

　　The ongoing heat wave is Shanghai's longest since 1952. The worst heat wave in local history occurred in 1926 when the city suffered through 24 consecutive days with temperatures topping 35 degrees.

　　This year's hot tem-peratures have created severe electricity shortages, but the city got some good news on that front yesterday.

　　Two generators at the Three Gorges Dam will soon be put into trial operation ahead of schedule insgroupsto ease Shanghai's shortages.

　　According to China Three Gorges Project Corp, engineers are currently examining and having test run with the No 3 and No 6 generators. The two units will be qualified for a 72-hour experimental operation on the 14 and 18 of this month, CTGP said on its Website.

　　But a company official said he is not sure if the two generators will be put into use and begin supplying the city's power grid immed-iately after those tests.

　　Currently, the No 2 and No 5 generators are supplying power to Shanghai.

　　"The peak generating capacity for generators No 2 and No 5 is 550,000 kw each, depending on the water level in the dam," he added.

　　"According to the plan, the East China power grid will get 2.62 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity from the Three Gorges by the end of this year, and Shanghai will get about 43 percent (of that)," said the official.