Storms on the way as plum rain season hits

By Steffie Lu  |   2008-6-20  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

THUNDERSTORMS are expected to hit the city this afternoon and over the next few days, the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau said yesterday.

The storms will continue across the weekend and on Monday morning, the bureau said.

Humidity will remain high throughout, while the temperature will rise to 32 degrees Celsius at the weekend and the lows will range from 23 to 24 degrees.

Rain will linger through until next week, but the temperature will drop slightly to under 30 degrees.

With the plum rain season upon us, forecasters estimate rainfall for the season will be higher than average. The past two years have been dry during the plum rain season, officials said.

The bureau estimated the season is expected to end at the end of this month. After that, the city will experience a period of sunny, hot weather.

Forecasters said yesterday the year's sixth tropical storm, "Fengshen," had formed on the Pacific Ocean east to Philippines. The storm was moving northwest at the speed of 15 kilometers per hour and growing stronger. Forecasters are still observing whether it could affect China.