August to bring relief from the heat

Shanghai can expect relief from the current intense heat as August begins and the subtropical high pressure leaves the city for a while, according to forecasters.

Maximum temperatures should drop to 34 degrees Celsius and below with two new tropical storms likely to form in the South China Sea and northwestern waters of the Pacific over the next 10 days. 

This year's third orange heatwave alert was issued on Tuesday as temperatures hit 37.9 degrees, the highest this year. So far, the city has seen six high-temperature days since July 20, when the plum rain season ended.

The high is expected to stay above 36 degrees on Wednesday with strong sunshine. But when August arrives, the subtropical high pressure will head north and southeasterly winds from the sea which roll onshore will cool things down.

Some scattered showers are also on their way. August will be an active season for typhoons with more convection on the Intertropical Convergence Zone.

In the current heat, demand for water is high. 

Shanghai Chengtou Water Group said its daily water supply reached 6 million cubic meters and more this month.

The company has increased inspections of water plants around the city to make sure the water delivered to households is clean. More workers and emergency repair squads are on standby 24/7 to deal with any contamination or pipeline disruptions. 

Meanwhile, the water group has finished the latest round of water pipes repair and maintenance. By the end of June, workers had fixed water pipes in 4,702 residential communities in the city.