Shanghai's warm weather is ending with a cold front on the way

Ti Gong

Thursday was the last day of this round of sunny, warm weather in Shanghai, as some areas were hit by slight rain, with more rains and a cold wave predicted in the following days, according to the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau.

The drizzles didn't stop the temperatures in Shanghai from climbing as high as 19 to 20 degrees Celsius on Thursday, making it feel like a spring day, said the bureau.

Rains will be stronger from Thursday evening to Friday and will be heavy in some areas of the city, accompanied with light thunder and lightning.

With high humidity, coastal areas will see low visibility, but Friday will still be warm with temperatures between 13 and 17 degrees, forecasters said.

It's rare to see such a warm winter with temperatures above 18 degrees in the first half of January in Shanghai, which has only happened over five years in the past 20 years.

From January 1 to 11, the average temperature observed at the downtown Xujiahui Weather Station was 8.8 degrees, the fifth highest in the past 150 years since the station was established.

But a new round of cold front is on the way and will affect Shanghai from around noon on Saturday, said the bureau.

The temperature will plunge by 11 to 13 degrees between Friday to Sunday, when residents might be able to see the first snow this year.

Next week will be colder with the lowest temperature around minus 1 degree in downtown areas with thin ice, and minus 5 to minus 3 degrees in the suburbs from Tuesday to Wednesday with frozen or severe frozen conditions.