Shanghai is likely to have higher temperatures and more rain this summer compared with past years,local meteorologists said.

The highest temperature according to the forecast will reach 39 degrees Celsius.There will be 15 days with temperatures exceeding 35 Celsius degrees,eight days more than in recent years,they said.

Shanghai is experiencing a period of increasing temperature and rain,meteorologists said,explaining that this conclusion is based on long meteorological observation and analysis.

The main character of such a period is more hot summer days,warmer winter and more storms during summers,they said.

The city's average temperature,which has increased gradually since the 1960s and the change has been obvious since 1990s,has been consistent with a global warming trends,they said.

During the 1990s,the city has 24 less days with lowest temperatures below 0 Celsius degrees and four to five More days with highest temperature of more than 35 Celsius degrees compared with in 1960s.

The amount of rainfall also increased and the city had apparently more summer days with storms.The city had five consecutive days of storms during August 5 to August 9 last year.The amount of rainfall broke the city's history of a century.

( eastday.com May 23, 2002)