Severe Drought Continues for China's Yunnan Province
Mar 18, 2010; 8:44 AM ET
Parts of China are no strangers to drought. This section of the Great Wall, built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) about 500 years ago, has emerged from the Panjiakou Reservoir as a result of a severe drought. (AP Photo/Xinhua, Zhou Wenguang)
What has been called the worst drought for China's Yunnan Province in nearly a century will persist, as there is little prospect for meaningful rainfall until May.
Between six and seven months of dry winter weather is characteristic of the Yunnan Province of China, but an early end to last year's rainy season is causing the current drought to be much worse than in previous years.
Yunnan has felt unusually high temperatures and unusually low rainfall since the beginning of September, when conditions usually dry out for the start of the winter's dry season.
AccuWeather.com meteorologists foresee only slight rain in April, with relieving rain very unlikely here.
May is expected to be the first month for heavier rainfall, when 4 inches is normal for the region during this time.
The seasonal rainy weather usually begins in April or May for the province, with the dry season moving in after October.
The peak month of the rainy season is July, when over 8 inches of rain is normal.
The drought is badly affecting the planting of crops, and reservoirs in serious shortage of water will make it even harder for planting to be sustained.
Story by AccuWeather.com's Carly Porter, with content contributed by Senior Forecaster Jim Andrews.
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