SHANGHAI, August 14 (RIA Novosti) - Over 40 million people have attended the Shanghai World Expo since it opened on May 1 despite the severe heat wave, the international Expo media center said on Saturday.

The scorching heat wave that gripped the Chinese city of Shanghai did not prevent local residents and tourists from visiting the exhibition.

The city has registered temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius (104F) in the past week, forcing authorities to issue a red-level alert, the most serious on the Chinese four-color heat warning system.

Around 383,000 people visited the exhibition on Friday at 41-degree heat (105.8F) and over 400,000 more visitors were counted on Saturday.

The 2010 World Expo’s organizers did all their best to create comfortable conditions for the visitors. More than 1,000 ice blocks were placed on the grounds of the exhibition along with ventilators and 2,000 tents for those waiting in the lines.

Meteorologists say the temperature in Shanghai may drop to 34 degrees (93.2F) on Sunday and Monday, though on Tuesday the city is likely to face a new heat wave.

The 2010 World Expo is being held in Shanghai until October 31. Up to 70 million people are expected to visit the city for the event, which has seen investment of up to $4 billion. Over 200 countries, corporations and international organizations are taking part.

Russia constructed a pavilion at the exhibition for the first time in 30 years. The sun-shaped building comprises 12 white-and-gold towers symbolizing the 12 months of the year and occupies an area of 6,000 square meters.

The Russian pavilion is considered one of the most popular and innovative at the Expo and attracts about 40,000 visitors every day, with the total number closing in on 4 million.