Dry weather and rising demand for water have exposed southern China once again to drought, sources of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters disclosed Friday.

By Thursday, China had reported farmland of 49 million mu (about 3.27 million hectares) hit by drought, much less than the average of 140 million mu (about 9.33 million hectares) for years.

Besides, 4.9 million rural people and 3.7 million heads of livestock in the countryside have encountered temporary water shortage this year.

The headquarters attributed the drought to sustained high temperature and increasing demand for water because many farmers in the south need to reap their early rice and seed their late rice between late July and early August.

As the drought situation in Jiangxi, Fujian, Zhejiang and Sichuan is developing fast, the headquarters has required local departments to take effective measures to help local farmers survive the busy season in farming.

Weather forecasts reveal that in August, most Chinese cities will find their temperatures higher than last year, especially in the south of Xinjiang, the region to the south of the Yangtze River and the area to the east of the Yangtze and Huaihe rivers.

To remedy the situation, meteorological departments were encouraged to use artificial rainfall if weather conditions permitted.

(Xinhua News Agency July 30, 2004)