Shanghai will probably have an "autumn tiger" this year as the hot weather is expected to run into early September, the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau said yesterday.

An "autumn tiger" refers to two consecutive days with highs above 35 degrees Celsius after the end of August. The city had "autumn tigers" in 2003 and 2005, according to the bureau.

Highs this week will continue to hover around 35 degrees, the bureau said yesterday.

While rain and the occasional thunderstorm are in this week's forecast, the wet weather won't do much to relieve the heat, the bureau said.

Pudong and Huangpu districts each received more than 43 millimeters of rain yesterday afternoon but highs still reached 35.6 degrees, according to the bureau.

"Only when a shower sweeps the whole city or a cold front intrudes will the temperature drop," said forecaster Chen Zhiqiang.

The hot summer weather is being blamed for the larger than usual number of calls to the emergency hotlines. The 120 first aid line logged about 680 calls over the weekend, many involving road rage and people with heart problems, which could be made worse by the hot weather.

"People - seniors and those with heart disease in particular - should remain calm during the summer, especially when it is extremely hot," said Dr Xu Zhimin from Xinhua Hospital.

(Shanghai Daily August 29, 2006)