THE unusual warm weather is turning the city’s many parks into a sea of flowers with hyacinth, cherry blossom, Chinese violet cress and magnolia in full bloom — a rarity at this time of the year.

The early blooming of the spring flowers has added a splash of color to the city, attracting uncommonly high number of visitors to the parks.

Peonies at the Shanghai Botanical Garden in Xuhui District have already flowered — the earliest in the park’s 30-plus years of existence.