Forecasters warn of blanket of fog expected to envelop the city

Residents in Shanghai may have to prepare for another round of bad weather as forecasters predict foggy and hazy conditions to blanket the city over the next 24 hours.

With a cold front moving away, Tuesday, the first workday of 2024 was sunny and temperatures rose back to over 10 degrees Celsius. The benchmark Xujiahui weather station recorded a maximum temperature of 11.6 degrees.

Forecasters said there will be light rain on Tuesday night, leading to foggy weather on Wednesday, with visibility expected to be less than 500 meters, and even less than 200 meters in some areas.

The city's environmental protection bureau has warned of potential PM2.5 pollution during the period. The worst pollution level is predicted to occur between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, reaching 145-155 micrograms per cubic meter.

Officials have advised residents to stay indoors as much as possible and follow basic safety precautions during the period of high pollution and low visibility. Motorists and other commuters have been urged to be extra cautious, especially those who lack experience of driving in foggy conditions.

From Thursday afternoon, air quality will improve and visibility increase. Temperatures will climb to about 14 degrees on Friday and Saturday with short periods of drizzle.

Another cold front will arrive on Sunday, bringing down temperatures again. Next Monday will see the lowest temperature drop to about 2 degrees, but the mercury will bounce back on Tuesday, said forecasters.