Hot time in the city to continue

By Lu Feiran  |   2008-7-2  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

SHANGHAI baked yesterday as the temperature eclipsed 35 degrees Celsius for the first time this year.

The maximum was 35.3 degrees Celsius and the heat wave is expected to continue for several days, according to weather officials.

They said the sudden temperature surge was the result of the strengthening of a subtropical high.

Forecasters have detected some signs that the end of the plum rain season is nigh.

However, the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau said it was hard to predict the exact timing of its finish.

"At present the subtropical high is not stable," said Man Liping, a bureau forecaster. "We will watch closely the movement of the high and the plum rain belt."

The Shanghai Central Meteorological Station, under the bureau, issued a yellow heat alert at 12:50pm yesterday. The first heat alert for the year was canceled at 4:30pm.

The heat caused a dramatic increase in city electricity usage. The maximum power output yesterday was almost 18 million kilowatts, according to the Shanghai Electric Power Company.

In the next several days, the maximum temperature will range between 32 and 35 degrees. Lows will hover between 25 and 26 degrees.

Thunderstorms are likely to hit in the afternoons, along with intermittent rain today and tomorrow, forecasters said.

They urged parents with young children, seniors and those with high blood pressure and heart disease to stay indoors and keep cool.

Last year Shanghai had 30 days when the maximum temperature was above 35 degrees. This year, forecasters expect the number of such days will be more than 30.