Shanghai Municipal Government : City to shiver in sub-zero temperature

A pair of parents holding their child walk in the rain in downtown Xujiahui area yesterday. The first cold snap of the winter is to hit the city from this morning, forecasters said.

The first cold snap of the winter will hit the city from this morning, forecasters said.

Shanghai Meteorological Bureau has issued a blue alert yesterday, the lowest of the four-tier warning system, forecasting a temperature drop from 8 to 10 degrees Celsius within 48 hours.

A downpour hit the city yesterday, with precipitation reaching 10 milliliters by 5pm. Temperatures fell from 10 degrees Celsius to 5 in the evening.

Today will be overcast, with occasional drizzle and sleet in the morning. Temperatures will range between 2 to 4 degrees Celsius. There will be light to moderate air pollution, with PM 2.5 particles the main pollutant, according to the environmental monitoring center.

From tomorrow, it will be sunny, but feel very cold.

Morning temperature tomorrow will plummet to minus 1 degrees downtown and minus 3 to minus 4 degrees in suburban areas. There will be ice on the roads. Around noon, it will rise to 5 degrees.

From Wednesday to Friday, temperature will further drop, down to minus 2 degrees downtown and minus 6 to minus 7 in suburban areas. Countryside dwellers are warned to brace for severe freezes.

Last Friday was xiaohan, or minor cold, on the Chinese lunar calendar, indicating the start of the coldest period of the year.

The average temperature during the xiaohan period, which last about two weeks, is 4.9 degrees, the bureau said. The coldest day was recorded on January 19, 1893, with minus 12.1 degrees.