SHANGHAI, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The temperature in downtown Shanghai on Sunday climbed to 30.5 degrees Celsius, making it the hottest April 7 since the city's meteorological records began in 1873.

As the eastern Chinese metropolis was still celebrating a tourism boom on the last day of the Qingming Festival holiday, the unprecedented heat caught many residents and tourists off guard, and the streets were full of people holding their overcoats at hand.

"An overcoat can be too much during the noon, and a short T-shirt is enough!" said Liu Hua, a visitor from Chongqing, a southwestern Chinese city known for its sultry climate.

The Shanghai Meteorological Center said high temperatures came early in 2019 to make Sunday among the city downtown's earliest "first hot days of the year," when temperatures surpass 30 degrees Celsius. It is second only to March 31 of 1945, when temperature shot to 32 degrees Celsius.

Shanghai's temperature climbed gradually during the three-day holiday from April 5 to 7, which, along with the sunny weather, helped heat up tourism and outdoor activities in the city.

The warm weather, however, may be shortlived. Meteorological authority said the city's temperature will drop dramatically after heavy rainfall and strong winds starting on April 8.