Cold weather is on the way again, with temperatures set to drop as low as freezing point in suburban areas, forecasters said yesterday.

Despite spring-like warmth last week and a high of 17.7 degrees Celsius yesterday, the mercury is set to plummet, said the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau yesterday.

The influence of the latest cold front will see temperatures fall as low as 2 degrees on Wednesday and Thursday, and even hit freezing in the suburbs, with the bureau warning of ice.

Officials said the cold front was not strong but its impact could last a week.

Drizzle is forecast today and tomorrow but the weather should turn clear from Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Shanghai should be prepared for strong winds over the next few days, with wind speeds of 20 to 38 kilometers per hour in downtown areas and gales of 62 to 88km/h along the coast, the bureau said.

Today, temperatures will range from a low of 5 degrees to a high of 8, while tomorrow will see a 2 degrees low and a high of 7.