The middle and lower reaches of China’s Yangtze river are suffering from the most severe drought in 40 years, with temperatures up to 3 degrees Celsius higher than normal in some regions, reported Reuters.
Citing the ministry in charge of handling natural disasters, the newspaper said the drought was affecting local grain production, and had delayed rapeseed planting in the region.
The total arable land affected by drought in the Yangtze’s middle and lower reaches was 154% higher than last year, the ministry said.
The Ministry of Emergency Management said temperatures were 1-3 degrees Celsius higher than usual in the central provinces of Hubei, Jiangxi and Anhui and in parts of Fujian on the southeastern coast.