A cold front swept Shanghai with high winds that kept ships at port and blew a slight dusting of snow across parts of the city yesterday - which may have been the first day of winter.

Hospitals reported higher numbers of patients seeking treatment for cold-related illnesses, and the birds and beasts that hail from warmer climes were moved indoors at Shanghai Wildlife Park.

A cold front swept Shanghai with high winds that kept ships at port and blew a slight dusting of snow across parts of the city on Decemb er 22, 2008 - which may have been the first day of winter.

Temperatures will remain in single digits today, but slightly warmer weather is on tap for tomorrow.

Yesterday's high was only 1.1 degrees Celsius, and the low was a chilly minus 3. The Shanghai Meteorological Bureau said it spotted a slight snowfall early yesterday in Pudong, and some residents of Yangpu District also said they saw a bit of the white stuff.

Heavy winds whipped across the mouth of the Yangtze River as the cold front blew in. The strong winds and rising tides caused the anchors of more than 40 ships to slip, though there were no collisions, Wusong Port maritime authorities reported.

Nearly 1,000 ships were forced to remain at anchor around the local port since Sunday evening because of safety concerns.

High winds also caused a Zhejiang Province-bound ferry to cancel its run yesterday morning.

Local hospitals said their out-patient and emergency services increased by about 10 percent due to the sudden drop in temperature.

"We received more children with respiratory diseases, and there may be more in the coming days," Xia Lin, an official at Shanghai Children's Medical Center, said yesterday.

Ruijin Hospital said many of the 300 patients it treated in its emergency department were suffering from cardiovascular diseases.

"Elderly people should keep warm and avoid going out in the early morning while the temperature is still very low," said Zhang Mili, a hospital official.

The Shanghai Wildlife Park in Nanhui District said animals that are not accustomed to frigid weather were moved into temperature-controlled areas. Tropical birds such as flamingos will not be displayed outside until the weather improves.

Today's high is expected to crest at about 7 degrees, though the low should still be around minus 3 in the downtown, and even lower in the suburbs. Ice may appear on some roads, forecasters warned, but the winds should moderate.

The mercury is expected to rise above 10 degrees tomorrow, with a daily low around freezing.

Sunday, the first recent day when the average temperature fell below 10 degrees, may be declared the first day of winter if the chilly weather continues. The season begins officially when the average daily temperature falls below 10 degrees for five consecutive days.

(Shanghai Daily December 23, 2008)