Autumn is here in solar terms but heat to persist in Shanghai
The highest temperature in Shanghai is above 34 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.
Although this year's 13th solar term in the Chinese traditional calendar, liqiu, literally meaning start of autumn, fell on Tuesday, there was no respite from the sweltering heat in Shanghai.
The highest temperature recorded at the local weather benchmark Xujiahui weather station today was 34.2 degrees Celsius, with a low of around 28 degrees.
Meanwhile, the arrival of liqiu generally means that the summer enters the last 10 days of the hottest part of the year, sanfu, which started on July 10 this year, and always runs for 40 days each year.
Despite the meteorological autumn, which usually falls on October in Shanghai, being still far away, the solar term indicates the heat is expected to gradually dissipate with the temperature difference between day and night increasing.
According to previous records, Shanghai usually sees about four high-temperature days with mercury exceeding 35 degrees after liqiu.
As of Tuesday, the city had recorded 14 high-temperature days since the summer began, compared to last year's 33 during the same period.
The mercury over the next 10 days is predicted to be very stable, with highs around 34 degrees and lows around 28 degrees. And there will be afternoon showers in some areas.
People around the country appreciate the term by eating different kinds of food, called "the bite of the autumn."
"We usually eat seasonal fruits on liqiu, like watermelon and cucumber," said a local female resident, surnamed Qin.
"We also have some meat dish at dinner, like hongshaorou (braised pork belly with brown sauce), to put on some weight as people usually loose weight in summer due to poor appetite," she added.
