Drought In Southwest China Worst In 50 Years - Reuters

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BEIJING - Parts of southwestern China are enduring the worst drought in more than 50 years, the Beijing News reported on Wednesday, as the southeast reels from the strongest typhoon to hit in half a century.

China's state meteorological bureau has reported the most severe drought conditions in over 50 years in the southwestern region of Chongqing, and neighbouring Sichuan province. ustained high temperatures and low summer rainfall have also brought drought to parts of southwestern Guizhou province, the central province of Hubei and in northwest Ningxia region and Gansu province, the paper said.

In Chongqing alone, 7.5 million people lacked adequate drinking water and economic losses have been estimated at 2.5 billion yuan ($313 million), the paper said. Soaring temperatures and low rainfall have laid waste to Chongqing's summer crops, the paper said, with market prices for leaf vegetables soaring 50 percent.

Autumn vegetable harvests were also likely to be "severely affected," with dry weather predicted to linger for several weeks, the paper said. Chongqing produces mainly cash crops including rice, wheat, corn, oil-bearing crops and soil-based vegetables such as sweet potatoes, carrots and radishes. The scorching weather has prompted state fire prevention authorities to issue fire warnings across the southwest, the paper said, with more than 70 forest fires reported in Chongqing this month.

EDIT

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006-08/16/content_666464.htm