Shocking scenes.. this is what the worst drought to hit China did

Arab weather - A heat wave that lasted for a month and coincided with a record drop in rainfall led to an unprecedented drought in the Yangtze River - China's longest river, and changed the image of rivers, lakes and agricultural lands.

Chinese meteorologists describe this heat wave as the strongest that the country has experienced since the rate of heat waves growing in the country began in 1961.

Crop damage

Pictures published by the Associated Press of partially dried up rivers document a rare sight of the effects of the scorching sun that left yellow rice stalks in its way, and famous chili plants are all fruitless, and the intense heat damaged many pepper and rice crops.

Dry rivers and lakes

The lakes fed by the Yangtze River witnessed a dramatic decline in their water levels. Including Dongteng Lake in northern Hunan Province - where the area is agricultural and dependent on the lake's water.

In Jiangxi Province, the water level in Poyang Lake - China's largest freshwater lake - has receded at a rate of about 75 percent, according to local authorities.

Farmers around Lake Poyang depend on its nutrient-rich water to irrigate their fields and crops.

The low water level also affected the drinking water supply in local communities, forcing the authorities to use water from the Three Gorges Dam reservoir, as well as from the Danjiangkou reservoir, to alleviate the water shortage, according to official media reports.

Across the region, drought is threatening autumn crops in China and threatening to wipe out thousands of acres in Sichuan Province.

The emergence of statues and sculptures that were hidden under the water

As a result of this drought, the waters of lakes and tributaries receded, and river beds unfolded in a number of places to remove the cover from a Buddhist rock carving about 600 years old, and from rocks under the famous Guanyin Pavilion Temple in Wuhan, Hubei Province, eastern China.

Disruption of electricity production

The drop in the river level led to a decrease in the production capacity of hydroelectric power stations in the region.

In order to save electricity, the authorities have imposed measures, including closing factories, reducing shop hours, and shutting down air conditioners in government facilities - all in the context of dealing with the high demand for electricity at a time when the capacity of plants to generate this electricity is reduced.

On the banks of the Yangtze River, Shanghai dims its famous waterfront lights. Luzhao city also turns off its street lights at night, in an attempt to relieve pressure on the power grid.

Record temperatures

Summer precipitation rates in the Yangtze River Basin were the lowest since records began in 1961, according to China's Ministry of Water Resources.

Simultaneously, persistent regional heat waves have broken their records, according to the China National Climate Center.

Temperatures peaked last week. The National Meteorological Center issued its highest warning of high temperatures for six consecutive days, which began on August 12.

Forest fires broke out in Sichuan Province. Chongqin municipality was severely damaged. Other provinces along the Yangtze River are experiencing prairie and forest fire emergencies.

Last week, temperatures hit a new record high of 45 degrees Celsius in Beibei District, Chongqing Municipality.

Expectations indicate that extreme heat waves will continue until the end of August.

See also:

Drought in America reveals giant footprints of dinosaurs dating back 113 million years

The drying up of rivers in Europe and Asia reveals secrets and treasures that were hidden under the water