Subtropical Shanghai has four seasons, with grey and cold winters, oppressively humid summers and beautiful springs and autumns. According to the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau, the city’s climate is getting warmer – and the winter of 2006-07 was the hottest on record. Thanks to its proximity to the sea, Shanghai rarely sees snow but occasionally experiences sub-zero temperatures. Maximum temperatures in the summer can hit 40°C, although the average high for July and August is 32°C. Most of Shanghai’s rain falls between April and September in three periods: spring rain, plum rain, and autumn rain. The plum rain season, a phenomenon of the lower Yangtze region, is named after the fruit that ripens with its arrival in mid-June and early July. Typhoon season lasts from June to October and the storms bring strong winds, heavy rains and storm surges, which sometimes cause flooding in downtown areas.­­­­