Heavy fog reduces visibility causing problems on the roads
Shanghai's landmark Lujiazui area shrouded in fog on Thursday morning.
Shanghai was hit by heavy fog on Thursday morning with visibility less 50 meters in some areas, and conditions are forecast to remain so over the next two days.
The city's weather authorities have warned that from Friday afternoon to Saturday morning, heavy fog as well as slight PM 2.5 pollution will hit the city due to increasing wet air humidity and weak wind power.
Along with the fog, short-term drizzle is also predicted on Saturday.
Temperatures ranged between 2.4 and 11.6 degrees Celsius on Thursday and are predicted to rise a little to between 5 and 15 degrees on Friday.
The low visibility had a major impact on the roads.
There were collisions involving a number of vehicles near the Hunan Road exit of S3 Hufeng Highway in the Pudong New Area at around 7:30am on Thursday. Some vehicles crossed on the highway, some trucks overturned, and some small cars and vans collided. A large amount of debris was scattered about, and some people were trapped inside vehicles, according to a Xinmin Evening News report.
Police said no one was injured in the accident.
Traffic officers said that during foggy weather drivers should slow down, keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front, turn on their taillights and pay close attention to road conditions.
Vehicles at the scene of the accident in the Pudong New Area.
The fog is forecast to dissipate a little on Sunday and Monday when a weak cold spell will arrive with wind power increasing. Another weak cold front is also forecast next mid-week.
However, the fog and haze can not be completely alleviated next week as the cold fronts are not strong enough.
Temperatures in the city will fluctuate from 2 to 8 degrees on Sunday and Monday, forecasters said.
