The city will be embraced with cold and wet weather along with gales for the remainder of the Spring Festival holiday.

Shanghai's Meteorological Bureau issued a blue alert for gales, the lowest level in a four-tier warning system, on Thursday morning.

A strong cold front along with force-8 winds, which could destroy tree branches, is expected to sweep the eastern coastal region of the city on Thursday, according to the bureau.

Citizens are asked to avoid riding bicycles or walking beneath hanging billboards and temporary structures amid the winds. A wind guide has been released suggesting the stabilization of fences, scaffolding and billboards citywide. Outdoor construction materials have to be well covered or wrapped, the bureau added.

The cold front, originating from the northern part of China, along with the gale, began hitting the city from Thursday, bringing temperature down to a low of four degrees Celsius. Showers will also be lingering over part of the city for a while.

Sleet is forecastfor this weekend and the temperature will drop to a low of two degrees on Sunday.

There is good news, though — the city's air quality will remain good through the weekend thanks to the bad weather, with ratings of either "good" or "excellent" until the end of the holiday on Sunday.