Widespread Welcome Rain Across China's Drought Areas Eases Drought Conditions

The reporter learned on the 4th from the Office of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters that since late July, drought-affected areas in Northeast China, the Huang-Huai-Hai region, Yunnan and other places have received precipitation multiple times, and drought conditions nationwide have been significantly eased.

It is understood that since late July, precipitation processes have occurred multiple times in the western and southern parts of Northeast China and the Huang-Huai-Hai region, with cumulative precipitation of 50 to 100 mm, and some areas reaching 100 to 250 mm. Affected by the precipitation, the drought in Hebei and Shaanxi provinces has basically been eliminated, and the drought in Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia and other provinces (regions), which had suffered more severe drought earlier, has been significantly eased. Precipitation in Yunnan Province has also increased notably recently, and the agricultural drought has basically been eliminated.

As of August 4, the drought-affected area of cultivated land nationwide was 24 million mu (the multi-year average for the same period is 100 million mu), and 1.22 million people and 2.09 million large livestock had difficulty accessing drinking water due to drought (the multi-year averages for the same period are 8.06 million people and 6.2 million head), mainly concentrated in Inner Mongolia, Shandong, Shanxi, Liaoning and other places.

According to statistics from the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, as of August 4, 48.08 million people nationwide had suffered from floods, with 198 dead and 51 missing. The number of deaths from floods was the lowest for the same period in history, but direct economic losses were 17 percent higher.