Severe drought in northeast China may persist

Liaoning and Jilin provinces in northeast China are experiencing their worst drought in decades.

Authorities warn the expanding drought may persist as the weather forecast includes little rain in those provinces this month.

Shu Qingpeng is the spokesperson of the State flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.

"Areas like the west of Liaoning and Jilin Provinces have always been prone to droughts, but the lack of precipitation has made the problem worse lately. We will pay close look to the possibility of an expanding drought as clear and hot weather persists."

Statistics show the drought area nation-wide, as of August 13th, has expanded to about five million hectares.

Sixty-percent of that total is in Liaoning, Jilin, and Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Northeast China is one of the country's major grain production regions.