Mad About Shanghai

Nothing like Hot Latte on a Cold Day

I love a hot drink (especially if it contains chocolate!) and waffles on a cold day.

Who doesn't?!

Would it snow in Shanghai this year?

It doesnt always snow in Shanghai during winter but dont let the temperature fool you.

Many people from the North or North Eastern part of China that frequently weathered lower temperature here had complained that they could not take the cold in Shanghai.

This is due to two main reasons.

The cold in Shanghai is damp cold whereas the cold in North / North Eastern part of China are usually dry cold. The human body needs more energy to fend off damp cold due to the moisture and density of the air thus often it feels a lot colder. Some local call in the "bone piercing" cold cos you can literally feel the chill in your bones.

The other reason is that the North / North Eastern part of China uses heaters and it feels a lot warmer there whereas in Shanghai, most offices and indoors uses airconditioning.

I have weathered zero degrees in Dalian before and trust me, the zero degrees in Shanghai is alot more unbearable. 

My friend, Angeline who is in Beijing now, sent me this photo below:

It seems that winter came earlier for the Beijingers as it snowed! In Shanghai, it is still officially in autummn.

I was walking along the Bund and Cool Docks a couple of days ago and it was reported 7 degrees. But if felt a lot colder ! I had to cut short my walk with my friend and pop into Costa Coffee for some warmth. I tell you. Few things beats some hot chocolate on a cold day like this.

I wonder if it would snow this year in Shanghai.

Its Snowing in Shanghai !

It started snowing in Shanghai. Just a small trickle in the morning some days ago and for a very brief while.

Anyone encountered the same ?

Rainy Days in Shanghai

Its been raining almost incessantly in Shanghai the past few weeks. The weather isn't expected to clear until next week.

So if you planning a trip to Shanghai soon, do be prepared for the wet weather. Or if you can wait, it would perhaps be better to wait another month or so, lest your outdoor plans for your trip be ruined.

One of the major "complaint" the locals here have of the city is in fact, the weather. In the summer, it can get all the way up to 39 degree Celsius. I remembered once, the city authorities had to put buckets of ice in the subway trains to supplement the air-conditioning. Winter wise, the coldest I ever experienced was -15 degrees Celsius this year in January.

If its not too hot or cold, it would be raining like these few weeks. If it is not raining, sometimes the sky would be overcast for several days in a row with very little sunshine at all. Thats Shanghai weather.

So, if you are thinking of relocating to Shanghai, dont forget to list weather as one of the points to consider.

Would it snow?

 
If the weather forecast is accurate, Shanghai should be experiencing the first trickle of snow tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday.

Get your cameras ready and enjoy the first snowfall in Shanghai this year!...if it happens.

Huge Lightning Storm Happening Right Now

Monday 28th August, 12:15pm - there has been a huge lightning storm going on in Shanghai for the last half an hour.

We have seen buildings only 200 or 300 meters away get hit by huge lightning bolts. The thunder claps have been loud and some of them have even shaken the windows.

Visibility at one point was down to only a few hundred meters due to the torrential downpour. The rain has stopped now, but the lightning and thunder is still going strong.

Its cool! I love storms - the gloom and the moodiness of it - and particularly at the moment, the rain. Shanghai and surrounding areas is desperately short of water - bring it on!

Interested in lightning - read how it's made - from NASA so it must be right!

Photo from Wang Jian Shuo's blog.

Here are some more cool lightening photos if you are interested.

Shanghai 3 & 6 Day Weather Forecasts

Just found this pretty cool website with fairly detailed weather forecasts - there is now a link in the Shanghai links on the right - so you can always check for the latest weather there.

They have a handy widget that you can add to a website that gives a 3 day forecast - but unfortunately its too big to add permanently to the blog - but this is what it looks like anyway:

The bad news is that there is no rain in sight - so dry, hot days will continue and the Yangtze's water level will continue to drop.

More Drought   News.

Shanghai - Back to Normal

Those of you that were worried about the weather in Shanghai can now all breath a sigh of relief!

That strange weather that had been afflicting shanghai for several weeks has now abated and we are again able to enjoy the wonderful smog and haze that we know and love so much.

Blue Sky Continues

The beautiful blue skies, reminiscent of Sydney skies, have continued now for over a week - its making me home sick!

There has been no pollution, no fog and no haze - nothing but clean air and blue skies since this time last week.

Where has all the pollution gone - thats what I want to know. Especially with this heat, there has been a great increase in electricity demand to power airconditioners - therefore more coal has been burned - but there is no smog! It hasn't been very windy, so where did it go?

Well, I'm not going to complain - just enjoy it. Photo was taken from the balcony this morning - looking towards Huaihai Rd over part of the old town.

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Shanghai Uses Latest Airconditioning Techniques for the Metro

The past week has seen some pretty hot days in Shanghai, just yesterday was the hottest so far this summer at 37.9 degrees.

To combat the heat in Shanghai's subway (the Metro), the latest in cooling techniques was brought out to reduce the sweltering conditions.

The blue `wheelie bin' with blocks of ice were placed strategically in the carriages to cool down peoples feet (cold air falls remember).

Photo courtesy Shanghai Daily.