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Wet, warm and humid as plum rains arrive
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SHANGHAI entered its annual plum rain season yesterday and the city can expect warm, wet and humid conditions, said forecasters.
The subtropical high will gain power this week, and the collision of cold and warm air in the Yangtze-Huaihe river basin will bring frequent rainfall, the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau said.
In the early part of the plum rain season, the city will experience high temperatures and high humidity, with intensive rainfall in some areas, according to the bureau. The good news is that perfect dispersion conditions will contribute to good air quality this week.
Downpours are expected in the west and northern areas of the city today, and those heading to work during the morning peak should be careful, the bureau warned.
Because of the rain, the temperature will drop slightly, ranging between 26 degrees Celsius and a high of 30.
The temperature will soar to 35 degrees for three days from tomorrow, dropping to a low of 27. It will be cloudy on Wednesday and Thursday, and thundershowers will hit some areas in the afternoon. Showers will likely put a damper on the weekend as well, according to the bureau.
Plum season, which usually begins on June 17 and began on June 15 last year, should last until early or mid-July.
The season, which is characterized by extreme dampness and high temperatures, lasts about 23 days on average, but in 1954 it continued for 58. In 1965, it lasted only two days.
The earliest start of the season was on May 22, 1936, while the latest was on July 9, 1982.
In 1999, the plum rain season was the wettest on record, with 815 millimeters of precipitation.
The season, which is called meiyu in Chinese, is seen in the middle and lower parts of the Yangtze River as well as southern South Korea and parts of Japan. Continuous rain hits these areas in June and July.
It is called the plum rain season because it always comes when the plum crops ripen. It is also called the “mold rain season” because the high humidity in the air causes mold to develop on food and clothing. The pronunciation of “plum” and “mold” are the same in Chinese.
Rain during the season results from warm air from the south colliding with cold air from the north. The amount of rainfall depends on the size of the fighters in this epic weather battle. Occasionally, however, the plum rain season can be dry.
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