31.2 degrees! Hottest mid-April day in Shanghai over 120 years

Shanghai recorded its hottest April day in 120 years Saturday, with temperatures reaching 31.2 degrees Celsius.

Shanghai’s existing weather records show that the last time a mid-April day was 33 degrees Celsius was in 1896, according to Kong Chunyan, chief service officer at Shanghai central meteorological station.

The city has experienced a warm front and the southwesterly inland wind was not very strong. This, coupled with low humidity and low cloud coverage, resulted in temperatures rising very quickly, according to the local weather station.

Shanghai, which enjoys a subtropical climate, usually sees high temperatures during the June-September period. The city’s highest temperature on record was 40.8 degrees in 2013.

Sunday will be foggy and cloudy with a chance of showers. The highest temperature will drop to 26 degrees.

“Conditions are not sufficient for another day of temperatures of 30 or above,” said Kong.