Storms set to strike as city braces for big wet

By Lu Feiran  |   2008-6-27  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

STORMS will strike the city again tonight with rain likely to continue across the weekend, weather forecasters said yesterday.

Affected by the low pressure system formed by tropical cyclone Fengshen, rain will fall most of the day, peaking with storms late today, the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau said.

Temperatures will range from 23 to 27 degrees Celsius today. The maximum temperature will rise to 30 degrees at the weekend. Lows will be still be around 23 degrees, the forecasters said.

Next week a subtropical high is expected to strengthen, with weather experts monitoring when the plum rain season will come to an end.

"Usually the plum rain season ends when the subtropical high is strong enough to move the plum rain belt," said Man Liping, a forecaster with the bureau. "That's why after the season it will be dry and hot for a period ?? because the subtropical high overwhelms the weather system."

"But at present we can still see a rain spell or thunderstorm at the beginning of next week," she said.

The rainfall of the plum rain season has reached 264.4 millimeters since the city stepped into the season on June 7, more than the normal 244.4 millimeters, Man said.