Blizzards, thunderstorms threaten rice crops

More blizzards and thunderstorms will hit southern China this month, a crucial month for cultivating rice, top meteorologists warned yesterday.

This follows the worst drought in 50 years in northern China, which has plagued 40 percent of the country's wheat harvest.

"The weather conditions ahead are not optimistic for farmers," said Zhai Panmao, director of China Meteorological Administration (CMA)'s forecast services and disaster mitigation department.