Downpours on the way as plum rain season arrives

Downpours on Wednesday and Thursday are to be expected as the annual plum rain season is here.

Shanghai's meteorological authorities are warning that heavy rain is forecast to batter the city on both days, accompanied with thunder and lightning, and strong winds.

Forecasters at the city's meteorological bureau say this year's plum rain season will arrive on Wednesday and could see more rainfall than usual.

During the day on Wednesday and Thursday the accumulated rainfall will range between 40 and 60 millimeters, with 80 and 100 millimeters in some areas.

The heaviest hourly precipitation is predicted to hit 30 and 50 millimeters.

The rain belt is expected to linger in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River region between Friday and June 26, with frequent spells of rainfall in the city, according to the bureau.

The temperature should remain stable, with highs of 30 degrees Celsius, and lows between 25 and 26 degrees.

The plum rain season usually lasts from mid June to early July, bringing an average of 1,660,000,000 cubic meters of rainfall a year to the city.

The longest the season lasted was in 1954, at 58 days.

In 1999, the city received a total of 815.4 millimeters of rainfall during the season, a record since 1950.