Henan endures hottest July in 64 years

Henan province just recorded its hottest July since 1961, with a month-long heatwave causing drought that affected approximately 1.76 million mu (117,333 hectares) of crops, according to local authorities on Tuesday. 

Since early July, the average rainfall in the province has been 79.5 milimeters, which is more than 50 percent below normal levels. Zhumadian city received just 6 mm of rain, a staggering 96 percent shortfall compared to its historical average of 184 mm.

The prolonged heat has severely impacted agriculture, particularly in eastern and southern Henan, including the cities of Zhumadian, Zhoukou, and Nanyang.

According to the provincial agriculture department, Zhumadian has been hit particularly hard, with 7.1 million mu of crops suffering from drought, and 2.42 million mu classified as severely affected.

A farmer surnamed Sun from Huaiyang district in Zhoukou said to Jimu News that his 100.16 mu cornfield now relies entirely on well water.

"We water daily, but it barely penetrates the soil," he said, expressing concerns about possible yield losses due to stunted growth and underdeveloped cobs.

In response to the drought, local authorities have irrigated 1.2 billion mu of farmland since early July, with most fields receiving water 2 to 4 times.

The authorities said this effort has "curbed the drought's spread and maintained stable autumn crop production".

The province has also urgently allocated tens of millions yuan in funds for drought relief.

Zhoukou and Zhumadian were allocated 20 million yuan ($2.78 million) and 9 million yuan, respectively, for emergency wells, irrigation repairs, and water diversion equipment.

Meanwhile, agricultural experts have conducted 49,100 field visits and 857 training sessions to guide 806,800 farmers to cope with the drought across the province.