(ORDO NEWS) — Officials have cited the climate crisis as the main cause of extreme temperatures across the country.
China has issued its first national drought warning this year. The threat was assigned a “yellow” level, according to Reuters.
The national warning was issued after water levels in the Yangtze River in Jiangxi Province dropped to a quarter of normal this time of year.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, 66 rivers in 34 districts have dried up in the southwestern region of Chongqing.
Rainfall in Chongqing has fallen by 60% compared to the seasonal norm, according to the China Meteorological Center.
The region’s infrastructure and emergency services are under increasing strain, with firefighters on high alert as mountain and forest fires flare up across the region.
High temperatures in July alone resulted in $400 million in direct economic losses, affecting 5.5 million people, according to China’s emergency ministry.
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