Light rain set to bring some drought relief
Source: Xinhua/Shanghai Daily |
June 1, 2011, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINA'S meteorological authority said yesterday that drought-stricken regions along the lower and middle reaches of the Yangtze River will get some relief with the arrival of light rainfall over the next few days.
Light rain and thunderstorms are forecast to arrive at central areas in the next 24 hours, as well as parts of northeast, west and southwest China, according to China's National Meteorological Center.
Moderate to heavy rains will fall on eastern Sichuan Province, Chongqing Municipality and Guizhou Province between Saturday and next Tuesday, which will increase water levels in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.
Drought along the Yangtze River has parched some 6.96 million hectares, more than 5 percent of China's farmland.
Drinking water shortages have also affected 3.29 million people and 950,000 livestock in the provinces of Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, and Hunan.
The rainfall will provide some relief to parts of Hunan and western Jiangxi, but the drought itself will most likely continue, said the center.
In May, the precipitation in Hubei, Anhui, Jiangsu, Hunan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang provinces and Shanghai was 30 to 50 percent less than the same period of last year. Some regions experienced up to 80 percent less rain than last year in May.
A total of 60.5 days with no rainfall in the affected region has been recorded, and the center has retained its "yellow alert" drought status.
The Yangtze has seen its lowest level of rainfall since 1961, according to an official with the river's flood control and drought relief headquarters.
Some 35 million people in five provinces have been affected in some way, and economic losses of almost 15 billion yuan (US$2.3 billion) were reported.
China's two largest fresh water lakes, Dongting Lake in Hunan and Poyang Lake in Jiangxi, are drying up.
Light rain and thunderstorms are forecast to arrive at central areas in the next 24 hours, as well as parts of northeast, west and southwest China, according to China's National Meteorological Center.
Moderate to heavy rains will fall on eastern Sichuan Province, Chongqing Municipality and Guizhou Province between Saturday and next Tuesday, which will increase water levels in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.
Drought along the Yangtze River has parched some 6.96 million hectares, more than 5 percent of China's farmland.
Drinking water shortages have also affected 3.29 million people and 950,000 livestock in the provinces of Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, and Hunan.
The rainfall will provide some relief to parts of Hunan and western Jiangxi, but the drought itself will most likely continue, said the center.
In May, the precipitation in Hubei, Anhui, Jiangsu, Hunan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang provinces and Shanghai was 30 to 50 percent less than the same period of last year. Some regions experienced up to 80 percent less rain than last year in May.
A total of 60.5 days with no rainfall in the affected region has been recorded, and the center has retained its "yellow alert" drought status.
The Yangtze has seen its lowest level of rainfall since 1961, according to an official with the river's flood control and drought relief headquarters.
Some 35 million people in five provinces have been affected in some way, and economic losses of almost 15 billion yuan (US$2.3 billion) were reported.
China's two largest fresh water lakes, Dongting Lake in Hunan and Poyang Lake in Jiangxi, are drying up.
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