China rains end drought, start floods

Rains, some even triggering floods, finally came to central China, slaking its parched lands and bringing relief to months of drought, authorities said. The downpour arrived in torrents during the weekend, especially across parts Hunan province that had been the worst hit by the drought, described as the most severe in the entire region in nearly six decades, meteorologists said. The province's Fenghuang County had received more than 9 inches of precipitation by Sunday morning, China Daily reported. Flooding was reported Xiangxi province's Loudi and Huaihua cities, affecting about 620,000 people and damaging nearly 72,000 acres of crops. The provincial government warned people they could face more flooding and other disasters but also asked them to store rain water. The rains also brought relief to Hunan's five neighboring provinces along the Yangtze River, China's largest. Last week, officials said the months-long drought had affected 35 million people and caused economic loss of more than $2 billion. Photographs had shown fishing boats stranded on grassland, once the bed of Poyang Lake China's largest fresh water lake in Jiangxi province. Millions of those affected by the drought were also facing difficulties in finding drinking water. The drought has also affected 1.07 million head of cattle and 9.1 million acres of crops. Food prices have risen sharply as a result of the drought, further exasperating China's already high inflation rate, which was forecast to get worse before easing. Experts have said extensive cultivation and poor water conservancy are also contributing to the problem.