BEIJING, Aug. 31 -- The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China's manufacturing sector came in at 49.1 in August, official data showed Saturday.

The reading edged down from 49.4 the previous month, amid the continuous impact of heat waves and rainstorms on the country's manufacturing activity, said Zhao Qinghe, senior statistician of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Zhao said the manufacturing sector climate was also affected by the arrival of off-season for some industries.

A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below 50 reflects contraction.

The sub-indices for production and new orders both dipped in August, but those for high-tech manufacturing and equipment manufacturing climbed evidently to rise above the boom-bust line of 50, according to the NBS.