On average the daily temperature has been above 10 degrees Celsius over a successive five-day period, signaling an early spring in Shanghai, according to a local meteorological center said.

The center said spring has come 10 days earlier than previous years in terms of meteorological gauges.

Thursday's maximum temperature is more than 22 degrees Celsius, according to the center.

Flowers have come into full bloom in the city, when it usually occurs in April, gardening experts said.

Fashionable young people were quick to dress according to the weather change putting on skirts or shirts.

Although north China is seeing off the cold winter, Southern China areas, south to the Yellow River, including cities, have had a warm winter due to the global warming effect, Zhang Jiachen, a center expert, said.

Shanghai has witnessed warm winters since 1988. Experts said higher temperature and relatively short rainfall in this early spring will pose little negative effect to local agricultural production because of sufficient sunshine and groundwater.

(Eastday.com 03/23/2001)