Summer drought may continue in S China

The droughts currently plaguing parts of Guizhou, Hunan and Hubei provinces are expected to continue, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said Wednesday.

As of Wednesday, around 832,000 hectares of farmland have been affected in those regions, while some 1 million people and 470,000 head of livestock have been affected by drinking water shortages, according to the headquarters.

Since the start of July, the amount of precipitation in those areas has been down dramatically from that recorded during the same period of last year, the headquarters said.

In the coming days, droughts are likely to continue in those regions as high temperatures and little precipitation persist, according to the country's weather forecasters.

The headquarters has dispatched work teams to some of the affected areas, while local governments are mobilizing all-out drought relief efforts.