Continuous drought in China affects 1.51mn people

Continuous hot weather and low precipitation since July have triggered droughts in China's Gansu province and these conditions are expected to continue, the local weather bureau said on Tuesday.
Droughts have hit 27 counties and districts in Gansu, affecting more than 1.51 million people and damaging approximately 60,000 hectares of crops, reports Xinhua news agency.

Since the beginning of this year, the province had received 14 per cent less rainfall than the same period in normal years.

Precipitation in central and eastern Gansu decreased by 50 to 80 per cent during the hot season, said the provincial meteorological bureau.

The bureau's forecast said droughts would continue in September due to weak rainfalls - IANS