The sun will shine during the first half of the Spring Festival
holiday but rain and snow is expected to return from February 10,
weathermen said yesterday.
The Shanghai Meteorogical Bureau said it had been hard to
predict the intensity of the snow up to now, but as temperatures
were relatively higher than last weekend, there should be no repeat
of the deep snow which caused havoc on the roads.
Temperatures are expected to range between a maximum of four to
six degrees Celsius and a minimum of zero degrees and two
below.
There will be touches of fog in the early morning from tomorrow
to Saturday, possibly affecting traffic during the Spring Festival
transport peak. Pedestrians and drivers are warned to beware of
black ice on the roads, said the bureau.
Today, the city will experience slight falls of rain and snow.
Later, the sky will be overcast.
Visitors to the East China region are expected to enjoy good
weather for at least the first half of the holiday, as cities such
as Jinan, Fuzhou, Hefei, Nanjing, Hangzhou and Nanchang will be
sunny with occasional clouds, said the bureau.
2007 Review
LAST year was the hottest year in Shanghai since records
began.
Apart from the heat, the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau said
2007 had seen no major weather problems with relatively fewer
adverse conditions than usual.
The 10 main weather phenomenons worth noting last year were:
Hottest yet
The average temperature for the year, both downtown and in the
suburbs, was 17.8 degrees Celsius. That was the highest average
temperature recorded in the city since records began in 1873.
Summer sizzles
In summer, the city had 30 days when the maximum temperatures
was above 35 degrees, three times higher than the norm. On July 29,
it reached 39.6 degrees, the third highest on record. From July 23
to August 3, the heat continued for 12 straight days.
Dry days
During the 27-day plum rain season, only 14 days had rain. And
the city had nine days when the temperature exceeded 35
degrees.
Blowing in
Typhoons hit rather late. The two typhoons which seriously
affected the city, Welpha and Krosa, didn't come until middle
September and early October, causing a rainstorm.
Krosa was the strongest typhoon to hit in October in local
weather history. Usually typhoons occur during June to early
September in the city.
Thunderous
On March 31, hail, which normally hits in the summer, fell in
Pudong, Nanhui and Fengxian. Thunderstorms were more frequent than
usual in summer. On August 3, a strong thunderstorm hit the
Shanghai International Circuit in Jiading.
The deluge
On August 5, eastern Shanghai had rainfall measuring more than
100 millimeters within two hours, while Chongming County had 92
millimeters in one hour, causing serious problems on the roads.
Big chill
A strong cold spell entered the city on March 3, with
temperatures dropping by 12 degrees within two days. The strongest
cold front of the year damaged some crops.
Dust bowl
On April 1, a duststorm hit the city, a result of sandstorms in
northern China. This caused serious air pollution, and on that day
the API index measuring the amount of inhalable particles in the
air reached 500, creating a new record on the city's history.
Summer arrives
Last year the city stepped into summer on May 13, the earliest
for the past 10 years, second only to 1997, when the city welcomed
summer on May 11.
Cool running
A strong cold front meant a cool 10 days at the beginning of
September. In most areas, the average temperature was the lowest
seen since 1994.
(Shanghai Daily February 5, 2008)