BEIJING - Parts of southwestern China are enduring the worst drought in more
than 50 years, the Beijing News reported on Wednesday, as the southeast reels
from the strongest typhoon to hit in half a century.
China's state meteorological bureau has reported the most severe drought
conditions in over 50 years in the southwestern region of Chongqing, and
neighbouring Sichuan province.
Sustained high temperatures and low summer rainfall have also brought drought
to parts of southwestern Guizhou province, the central province of Hubei and in
northwest Ningxia region and Gansu province, the paper said.
In Chongqing alone, 7.5 million people lacked adequate drinking water and
economic losses have been estimated at 2.5 billion yuan ($313 million), the
paper said.
Soaring temperatures and low rainfall have laid waste to Chongqing's summer
crops, the paper said, with market prices for leaf vegetables soaring 50
percent.
Autumn vegetable harvests were also likely to be "severely affected," with
dry weather predicted to linger for several weeks, the paper said.
Chongqing produces mainly cash crops including rice, wheat, corn, oil-bearing
crops and soil-based vegetables such as sweet potatoes, carrots and radishes.
The scorching weather has prompted state fire prevention authorities to issue
fire warnings across the southwest, the paper said, with more than 70 forest
fires reported in Chongqing this month.
Chinese newspapers on Wednesday showed pictures of Chongqing residents
queuing to receive water rations.
State TV also showed pictures of cracked rice paddies and withered seedlings.
On Sunday, state TV reported that the water level in the Chongqing section of
the Yangtze river -- China's longest river -- hit 3.5 metres (11.5 feet), its
lowest in 100 years.
Meanwhile, much of southern China has been battered by a series of typhoons
and tropical storms this year that have killed about 1,300 people.
The death toll from Typhoon Saomai, which hit China on Thursday, has reached
319 and could rise, Xinhua news agency said on Wednesday.
