Chinese crops at risk as extreme drought warning issued for central and northern areas
- Henan province calls for its local governments to take emergency measures, with water for homes and livestock a priority
In Henan province, the weather bureau issued an orange drought alert on Wednesday morning, the second in a three-tier system. An orange alert is usually issued when between three and five provinces are experiencing drought and it is expected to develop further.
The forecaster said 16 of a total of 17 cities in the province had detected drought that lasted 10 days and was expected to develop further the following week. The temperature in its capital Zhengzhou was expected to get as high as 41 degrees Celsius (105 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday and remain in the high 30s in the following days.
Henan has called on local governments in the province to “take emergency measures against the drought” and disperse all available water sources in the area, with priority given for residential water and drinking water for livestock.
Water for the service sector would be limited to ensure adequate supplies for irrigation, and artificial rain should be increased when necessary, it said.
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On Tuesday, Beijing’s agriculture ministry issued an alert for high temperatures and drought in northern and central China, including parts of Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Henan, Shandong and Anhui. For these areas, which traditionally have high soy bean and corn production, it warned there was a high risk of crop seedlings being damaged.