Year's first plum rains forecast for Tuesday night

The first round of plum rains is expected to fall in Shanghai on Tuesday night as the region marks the start of a period known for sultry, rainy weather.

According to the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau, the arrival of the annual plum rain season this year is nine days earlier than usual.

In the coming week, colliding air systems over the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River will form a plum rain belt. As rains move northward into the region, a series of thundershowers will likely hit the city on Tuesday night and into Wednesday.

Some areas could receive precipitation between 30 and 50 millimeters.

The remainder of the week will see showers and thundershowers at times, with the mercury ranging from 24 to 31 degrees Celsius.

Such wet conditions will linger for at least the next 10 days.

Generally, Shanghai's plum rain season lasts for 23 days, bringing average precipitation of 243.1 millimeters, nearly one-fifth of total rainfall for the year.

The bureau is warning residents to carry an umbrella over the coming days and to be careful of mouldy food. Damp weather could also create risks for electric appliances, authorities caution.