SHANGHAI -- A heat wave has lasted 11 days in Shanghai, the longest on record in the city in 145 years.

Friday was the 11th consecutive day that Shanghai has recorded temperatures of over 37 C, breaking previous records of 10 days in 2013 and 1934, according to the local observatory.

The city saw a temperature of 40.9 C on July 21, the highest since local meteorological records began.

Typhoon Nesat, the ninth typhoon of the year, will hit southeast China Saturday, and rain is expected to bring some relief to central and eastern regions, which have seen sweltering heat since June 26, according to the National Meteorological Center.

The Shanghai observatory has forecast rain and a high temperature of 36 degrees Celsius on Saturday.