The hot weather lingering in east China has withered leaves and caused them to fall off trees.

High temperature in Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui Province, was behind the unusual falling of phoenix trees more used to humid climates, said an official surnamed Sun from the city's Bureau of Parks.

The temperature in the city has hovered around 37 degrees centigrade in recent days as few raindrops have come down.

"The leaves shattered due to the inadequate water supply from the trees," Sun said. "That is what it is all about."

Moreover, Doctor Cong from the Institute of Park Research affiliated to the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Parks said the phoenix tree, which tends to grow well in a humid environment, is prone to drop its leaves in such an arid climate.

Cong said the trees can temporarily adjust to dryness for a while by losing some leaves to save water, but are less likely to survive a long drought.

(China Daily July 28, 2004)