After Europe dries up, China issues its first drought warning this year and struggles to protect crops

Weather of Arabia - The Chinese authorities issued the first nationwide drought warning this year, as China is experiencing one of the strongest heat waves in six decades, with less than average rain, while the authorities are fighting forest fires and mobilizing specialized teams to protect crops from the scorching temperatures in Yangtze River Basin.

The "yellow" alert, issued on Friday, is the third highest on China's four-level scale.

The warning comes after areas from Sichuan in the southwest to Shanghai in the Yangtze Delta experienced weeks of sweltering heat, with government officials repeatedly citing global climate change as the cause.

Provinces in southern and central China - especially those along the Yangtze River, such as Jiangsu, Hubei and Sichuan - are hardest hit. Local officials have advised to maintain the water supply for domestic purposes and to limit agricultural, commercial and industrial use. The authorities are also trying to seed the clouds to alleviate the drought.

China's Xinhua News Agency said Thursday that Poyang Lake in a Yangtze River basin in central China's Jiangxi Province has now shrunk to a quarter of its normal size for this time of year.

State Broadcasting and Television Corporation (CCTV) also noted on Friday that as many as 66 rivers across 34 counties in southwestern Chongqing Province have dried up.

Quoting local government data, she added, this year's rainfall in Chongqing has decreased by 60% compared to the seasonal average, and the soil in many areas is suffering from a severe lack of moisture.

On the rise in temperatures, Beibei District, north of central Chongqing, experienced temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) on Thursday, according to the China Meteorological Bureau.

Chongqing captured six of the country's 10 hottest spots on Friday morning , as temperatures in the Beishan region approached 39 degrees Celsius. While the temperature in Shanghai was 37 degrees.

Infrastructure and emergency services in Chongqing have come under increasing pressure, with firefighters on high alert as fires rage in mountains and forests across the region. State media also reported an increase in heat stroke cases.

The Fuling area gas company told customers on Friday that supplies would be cut off until further notice due to "safety risks".

Great efforts to protect crops

The drought has affected more than 2 million acres of farmland in six governorates, a Water Ministry official said Wednesday.

The Chongqing Agriculture Bureau has set up expert teams to protect endangered crops and expand cultivation to make up for losses before the autumn harvest.

According to data from China's Ministry of Emergencies late Thursday, high temperatures in July alone caused direct economic losses of 2.73 billion yuan ($400 million) , affecting 5.5 million people.

Meanwhile, the National Meteorological Center of China (NMC) renewed the red alert for high temperatures on Friday. State meteorologists also predicted that the current heat wave would begin to subside on August 26.

The weather agency said in its daily bulletin that 4.5 million square kilometers of national territory has now seen temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius or more over the past month - nearly half of the country's total area - with more than 200 weather stations recording record highs. the heat.

Energy shortages and fears of a decline in the second largest economy in the world

The intense heat has caused a high demand for air conditioning in offices and homes, putting pressure on the power grid. Drought has also depleted river water levels, reducing the amount of electricity produced at hydroelectric power plants.

Sichuan, a province of 84 million people, has been suffering from extreme heat and drought since July. Sichuan authorities on Wednesday ordered factories to close for six days to ease heat-related power shortages.

Experts worry that power rationing at a major manufacturing hub for semiconductors and solar panels could affect some of the world's largest electronics companies, including Intel and Foxconn.

Economists have also warned that extreme temperatures could further drag down the world's second-largest economy , which is already dealing with the effects of strict COVID-19 lockdowns and the real estate crisis.