A mercifully cool sanfu officially over in Shanghai

Shanghai ended the hottest period, sanfu, on Thursday, with only 10 days with a recorded temperature over 35 degrees Celsius, compared with 24 days last year, according to the city's weather bureau.

This year's 14th solar term, chushu, or end of heat, will fall next Monday, indicating the hottest period of the year has passed and a larger temperature difference between day and night.

However, the beginning of autumn is still a month away because officially autumn arrives when there are five consecutive days with the daily average temperature is below 22 degrees, usually in October.

Today was cloudy with thunderstorms in parts of the city, with the mercury ranging between 26 and 33 degrees.

Rainfall is expected over the weekend, with thick clouds, lightning and temperatures fluctuating between 27 and 32 degrees.

Thunderstorms are forecast to hit the city next week, with highs around 33 and lows around 28.