Climate
Shanghai belongs to the north subtropical monsoon climate, with distinct seasons, ample sunshine and rainfall. Shanghai has a mild and humid climate with shorter spring and autumn and longer winter and summer. In 2007, the average temperature was 18.5℃, sunshine was 1416.6 hours, and rainfall was 1208.8 mm. About 60% of the annual rainfall is concentrated in the flood season from May to September, and there are three times of rainy period: spring rain, plum rains and autumn rain. The highest temperature in Shanghai is in July and August. Recently, in summer，Shanghai is getting hotter. The number of days with the air temperature higher than 35℃ is about 10 days. In winter, it is the coldest from late January to early February (usually the Spring Festival period). Although the number of days with severe cold is not large (generally lasting for 3 days), the damp and cold in the south of the Yangtze River is too much for northern Chinese population. Piercing northerly winds often blow. People have to wear some thick warm clothes, and should also armed to the teeth, including gloves, scarf and hat. It doesn’t snow much, sometimes all the year round. Spring is in bloom from March to May.，which is the best season to travel. In particular，it is the plum rain season from mid-June to early July, which varies from sunny to rainy. The rainfall of more than 20 days accounts for about 1/4 of the whole year. It is not suitable to travel during this period. From the end of August to the middle of September is the typhoon season, often pouring rain. You must take a umbrella with you when you visit Shanghai during these two periods. Fortunately, and it can also be used for shading and avoiding the sun when sunny ，because the the temperature is so high.
