The plum rain season’s super-soggy history
Print Edition
IT’S a picturesque name that belies its sometimes odious effects. The annual plum rain season in Shanghai this year has been worse than usual. The city received 323 millimeters of rain in the last two weeks of June — about a third above the average. That has caused flooding in the streets, flight chaos at the city’s airports and household mold.
The season historically ends about mid-July.
Rain this time of year is not peculiar to East Asia. In China, it’s called meiyu, or “plum rain season.” In Japan, it’s called tsuyu or baiu, and in Korea, jangma.
“The season gets its name here because it always comes when the plums ripen,” explained Fu Yi, a chief service officer at the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau. “This period was very important to farmers in ancient times, when watering crops was all done manually. The rains improved agriculture.”
Sure enough, many ancient Chinese poems refer to the season, with descriptions like “when the plums turn yellow, it rains.”
According to Fu, the rains in this season are linked with a belt of weather that swings over the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River.
Rains are triggered when warm air from the south collides with cold air from the north.
“In early summer, the warm summer air created by monsoons forces colder air northward,” Fu said. “Since the cold air is heavier, the warm air is forced up and over, and as the air lifts, rain forms.”
The amount of rain depends on the size of the protagonists in this weather battle. During the plum rain season, the rain belt tends to be stationary over Shanghai and the Yangtze River delta.
If the rain event starts in late May, it is called “early plum rain.” If it starts at the end of June or later, it’s called “late plum rain.”
The earliest ever start to a plum rain season in Shanghai was May 22 in 1936, while the latest ever was July 9, 1982. The average start date is June 17.
Sometimes the plum rain season overstays its welcome. In 1954, the season lasted 58 days. That’s what is called a “long plum rain.” By contrast, the season has often been so short that hardly anyone noticed it. In 1965, it lasted only two days.
Kong Chunyan, another chief service officer at the weather bureau, did some research in the records for Shanghai Daily.
In 1999, the plum rain season was the wettest on record, with 815 millimeters of rain. In 1902, it was the driest, with only 12 millimeters.
In Chinese, the characters for “plum” and “mold” are pronounced the same. Because the high dampness in this season can cause food and other items to mold, the ancient Chinese also called it the “mold rain season.”
That’s one reason why urbanites complain so much about the plum rains, even if they are beneficial to agriculture. The rains flood streets, snarl traffic, delay flights and drench those who have to brave the out-of-doors.
Xia Baoqing, a 56-year-old woman in suburban Jiading District, told Shanghai Daily that her household furniture develops mold during this season.
“My washing never dries, and everything smells of mildew,” she said. “Clothing in closets develops white spots, and even the bamboo clips I use to hang laundry on my balcony have got mold on them.”
Authorities have warned residents to make sure that food is properly stored because bacteria thrive in damp, warm conditions.
The plum rain season has also been blamed for exacerbating heart conditions, digestive ailments and arthritis.
Dr Lu Guangxia, who works in the traditional Chinese medicine department at Renai Hospital, told Shanghai Daily that traditional medicine calls this season shixie, or “wet and evil.”
“A prolonged wet, humid environment causes some people distress,” Lu said. “It’s a good idea to open windows to try to disperse some of the moisture. Dehumidifiers can also be a big help. Even an air conditioner will aid in reducing humidity.”
Traditional medicine philosophy advises people to eat light foods during the rainy season, reducing the intake of sugar and fat that can cause “internal humidity.” Pearl barley, beans, yam and lotus seeds are said to be beneficial in relieving “internal humidity.”
Moxibustion, the application of heat from burning herbs on acupuncture points can help ease joint and lumbar aches, Lu said.
“It’s always wise to rest a lot,” Lu said. “Avoiding fatigue is always a good prescription for warding off disease in the plum rain season.”
Other East Asians have their own “prescription.”
The Japanese hang handmade dolls of white paper or cloth by their windows. The ghost-like figures are called teru teru bozu, which means “shine shine monk.” The dolls are supposed to possess magical powers to stop rain and bring sunny weather.
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