Monday one of the warmest days
A temperature of 19.9 degrees Celsius was recorded at the benchmark Xujiahui weather station on Monday, forecasters said, but colder and wet weather is on its way.
The figure was the third highest in city's weather history for mid December, following a 20.2-degree high in 1955 and 20 degrees in 1952.
The highest temperatures recorded at the observation stations in suburban districts mainly ranged between 20 and 23 degrees in the afternoon and were their mid-December record high since they were established in 1961.
The reading at Xujiahui weather station is regarded as the city benchmark. Although temperatures on the outskirts may be higher, it's not an average and doesn't represent the whole city.
Monday is likely to be the last day of warmth before a cold front sweeps the city from Tuesday.
It will be mostly cloudy and overcast on Tuesday morning with brief drizzle at times. The rain will increase in the afternoon with growing winds. Morning temperatures will be 13 to 14 degrees while a colder evening is expected with a drop to 11 degrees.
There will also be some morning fog in waterfront areas, which may result in low visibility.
The cold and warm air masses will be at a stalemate for a while in the Jiangnan area, referring to the region south of the Yangtze River, so rainy conditions should last for three to four days, helping to improve air quality.
Tuesday will see a high of 15 degrees and a low of 11. Temperatures will fluctuate from 6 to 11 degrees during the remainder of this week.
This year’s 22th solar term Dongzhi, or winter solstice, is on Sunday. During this solar term, there is often heavy snow in northern China, which is believed to promise a bumper year for crops. Snow piles up to cover the earth to create a good overwintering environment for winter crops.