Provinces work to protect crops amid drought

Farmers hold breath as prolonged lack of rain threatens to destroy harvests

As a severe drought grips multiple provinces across China, local governments are stepping up emergency response efforts to safeguard agricultural production and minimize losses.

Extreme meteorological drought continues to affect Henan and Shaanxi provinces, with exceptional drought — the highest level — plaguing southwestern Shaanxi and southwestern Henan, according to the National Meteorological Center.

Over the next three days, moderate to heavy rainfall is forecast for eastern Yunnan province and the western and central-southern parts of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, bringing some relief to those areas. However, the remaining drought-stricken regions are expected to receive little to no precipitation, meaning drought conditions are likely to persist or even intensify, the center said.