Brief relief ahead for back-to-school week after Shanghai swelters through record-breaking heatwave

Shanghai baked under another blistering heatwave on Sunday, with highs soaring above 35 degrees Celsius and shattering the metropolis' historical extreme heat records.

Sunday marked the 26th straight day of heatwave conditions, defined as temperatures reaching 35 degrees or higher, since August 6, surpassing the record set just one day prior. That Saturday milestone had already toppled a nearly century-old record from 1926, when Shanghai endured 24 consecutive days of sweltering heat between July 22 and August 14.

This extended heat spell has also cemented August 2025 as Shanghai's hottest August on record, with 27 heatwave days logged.

Shanghai's benchmark Xujiahui Meteorological Station typically records an average of only seven heatwave days per August. Last August, the city saw 26 such days, a figure now narrowly edged out by this year's count.

There is a glimmer of relief on the horizon, though: Meteorologists forecast a short reprieve from the scorching heat, timed to coincide with students heading back to school for the new September semester.

Looking ahead to next week, cloudy skies and scattered showers will dominate the forecast. Temperatures are projected to hover between 27 and 34 degrees from Monday to Thursday, before inching back up to 35 degrees by Friday and Saturday.