Residents urged to keep warm as winter approaches Shanghai
Residents of suburban areas have been urged to wear an appropriate amount of clothing, as the temperature is forecast to touch at minus 2 degrees Celsius in some areas this morning.
In the countryside, thin ice could form. In the downtown areas, the temperature was forecast to drop to 2 degrees in the morning, said the Shanghai Meterological Bureau.
The temperature would, however, rise to a high of 11 degrees in the sunny day time, it said.
Tomorrow, the mercury might rise a little, but the temperature was forecast to range between 4 and 11 degrees for the rest of the week.
Winter was highly likely to have descended on Shanghai yesterday after a cold front swept the city.
The temperature has to be below 10 degrees on average for five days in a row for winter to be declared.
The city’s weather records show that winter usually falls on December 3.
Meanwhile, authorities have stepped up efforts to provide food and shelter to beggars and the homeless.
The civil affairs authorities, police and urban management authorities have increased night patrols to look out for youngsters, the disabled, and elderly residents.
Across Shanghai, aid workers have started 24-hour shifts to meet the needs of the homeless by providing food, medical treatment, hot showers and toilets, and temporary accommodation.
The Shanghai Rescue Station is using new technologies such as face recognition and DNA matching to identify homeless people and help them return to their families.
Residents — particularly sanitation workers, bus and taxi drivers, and security guards — are urged to dial 110, 12319, 962200 or 12345 if they spot homeless people or beggars in need of help.
The stepped-up patrols will end on March 15 next year.
