As summer begins, droughts in China have worsened. Between March and June 2004, a serious drought affected Helongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning provinces. China’s three northeastern provinces and Jilin province have been affected the worst. They are experiencing the worst drought in 60 years. Farmland soil is dry and cracking, rivers have dried up and there is not enough drinking water. Currently, China’s water department has sent out an alarm, and temperatures are still high.

According to Beijing News, the drought in Gan'an county of Jilin province is the most severe. The local weather center said there has been no rain for the past eight months. In Gan’an’s farmlands, the moisture reading at 10 to 20 cm deep is zero. The water level of aquifers is three to seven meters and falling. In some areas, wells have dried up and there is no grass on pastureland. Water for daily usage is bought from other regions and transported back by vehicles twice a day. People are recommended not to wash with soap in order to save water for chickens and ducks to drink. Local residents have put many containers outside their houses, awaiting rainfall, but so far they have not been used.

Facing such dire conditions, local farmers have started to kneel down and pray for rain. Since mid-June, 30 farmers prayed on their knees for ten days straight.

Because of high temperatures, less rainfall and ineffective water storage facilities, Shangxi province is running short of water. Since the end of May, most areas in Shangxi province have not had enough rainfall. Rainfall in major grain producing areas has fallen 30 to 60 percent compared past years’ average. The water from diverted rivers and reservoir water has fallen 20 percent compared to past years’ average. Twenty-seven reservoirs have dried up, 3,341 wells are low on water, and the relative humidity of soil for ploughing in most areas has dropped sharply.

According to data from the Flood and Drought Control Center of Shangxi province, close to 100,000 Mu (16,473 acre) of farmland are currently short of water. The temperature in Xi'an city topped 35 C (95 F) for eight days straight, and on June 24, reached 39.3 C, which broke the 50-year record.

The drought also threatens south China. According to a report from Shenzhen radio, the high temperatures and lack of rainfall in Shenzhen contributed to a serious drought and water storage in Shenzhen’s reservoirs, bringing them to 25 percent of their normal water level.

The average rainfall between January and June this year has fallen 27 percent compared to past years’ average. Because of the reduced rainfall, the water levels of 23 reservoirs in Shenzhen have dropped sharply, especially in the Bao'an and Longgang areas. Some small reservoirs have already dried up.

The Shenzhen Drought, Tornado and Flood Control Office said these are signs of the beginning of the most serious drought in recent years. The local weather forecasts that rainfall for the second half of the year will be small.