City welcomes an earlier summer this year

Summer has arrived, the second earliest since city records began.

It began on May 7, just a day later than in 2009, the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau said. 

Summer can be announced when the average temperature is above 22 degrees for five consecutive days after lixia, the seventh solar term, or Summer Begins.

Since 1981, its arrival in the city has usually been around the end of May.

The early summer made spring extremely short this year at 58 days, about two weeks shorter than usual, according to the bureau. 

Meanwhile, a yellow alert for thunder and lightning and a blue alert for rainstorms were lifted at 5pm. 

Forecasters say Wednesday should be overcast and drizzly with temperatures ranging between 22 and 26 degrees Celsius. 

Showers are expected on Thursday and Friday. 

Temperatures on Thursday will be 20 to 27 degrees and 20 to 26 on Friday. 

A short respite from the rain is expected at the weekend with Saturday cloudy to overcast but temperatures soaring to 34 degrees. 

Sunday will see temperatures from 25 to 33 degrees.