ABOUT 200 flights were cancelled and 300 more delayed at Hongqiao and Pudong airports due to heavy downpour which also caused massive traffic jams in the city.

The Shanghai Meteorological Bureau issued a yellow alert for rainstorm — the third highest of four levels — and a yellow alert for thunder at 9am yesterday. The alerts were in place untill 7pm last night. To make it worse, the bureau said the plum rains will stay for few days more.

The strong and unending rainstorm in East China affected flights to Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou, the Shanghai Airport Authority said yesterday.