Although a white Christmas was not Shanghai's good fortune during the week-end, it was not the fault of the clerk of the weather for he sent some icy conditions which chilled to the marrow even the most exuberant of Yuletide revellers. On Boxing Day, for instance, reports of frozen water pipes, which should have made their appearance long before Christmas, were circulated in the city and although there were only a few isolated cases, nevertheless it marked Shanghai's first real frost.
Shortly before Christmas the weather in the city was mild, so mild in fact that it was not winter but mere in keeping. with those golden autumn days about which the poets and novelists are so fond of writing. On December 21 the minimum tem-@rature reading for instance at the Cathedral was 41.5 and the maximum 49—nothing like Christmas about that. On the next day there was a drop to a minimum of 35.5 but the maximum was even higher than the previous day—51.5.
On December 23, with two days left before Christmas, the minimum temperature rose to 36 with a maximum of 50 and then came the drop, bringing with it cold blasts and radiant noses, which shone in keeping wi the real festive spirit. The temperature went down to 29.5 and even the maximum did not rise above 4l—at Siccawei it was lower. Thus on Christmas Eve there was a definite promise of something like the Christmas weather which was being experienced in Europe. There was even a promise of snow, or the amateur prophets would have it that there was, and indeed it might have been so had the clouds been inclined that way or the weather clerk in a better mood.
On Christmas Day the weather was again fickle and the minimum rose to 30 with a maximum of 38.5 and bang went the kiddies' prayers for some snow. On Boxing Day, however, came the coldest spell of the year with a minimum of 275 and this was the cause of damage to many water pipes in buildings alongside the river, specially in the downriver areas. The maximum was not so low though as on the previous days, a warm sun sending the thermometers up to 41 ~at Siccawei it was 31.8 at 9 pin. Yesterday's temperature at Siccawei at the same hour was 338 which betokened a change to warmer conditions although at 4 p.m. the thermometer stood at 2
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.