Summer has started, but expect heavy rain before a fine week

Summer is officially here, local weather authorities have announced.

To meet meteorological requirements the average temperature must remain more than 22 degrees Celsius for five consecutive days which it did on Friday.

This year's summer is 23 days later than the last one, which fell on May 7.

Saturday's morning was muggy and humid, and heavy rain is expected to affect the city with gales and lightning from the afternoon to Sunday. The rain will gradually cease Sunday afternoon, the last day of the three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday.

Most of next week will be dry and cloudy, with temperature between 20 to 30 degrees.

This year's ninth solar term, mangzhong, or Grain in Ear, will fall on Monday. It reminds us that temperatures are increasing, and there will be more rainfall and humid days ahead as the time of the grain harvest approaches.

And it also means the plum rain season, which features continual rain and sultry weather, is not far away.