China warns about impending hot-dry wind

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the China Meteorological Administration jointly issued on Tuesday a warning with information on dry-hot wind disasters across China over the upcoming weekend.

Due to the influence of high temperatures and sunny weather, it is expected that from Friday through Sunday in areas of the central and southern parts of Hebei province, the central and western parts of Shandong province, the central and northern parts of Henan province, the northwestern parts of Anhui province, the southern parts of Shanxi province and the central parts of Shaanxi province all have a relatively high risk of dry-hot wind disasters affecting winter wheat, it said.

In addition, some areas in the southern parts of Hebei province, the northwestern parts of Shandong province, the northern parts of Henan province and the southeastern parts of Shanxi province face a high risk of dry-hot wind disasters during this period, it added.

The timely application of mixed sprays, including insecticides, fungicides, plant growth regulators, foliar fertilizers and micronutrients, and the implementation of precautionary measures such as sprinkling and precise irrigation techniques are suggested to add protection from the wind.

Dry-hot wind, a type of severe agricultural wind disaster with high temperature and low humidity, mainly impacts areas in Northwest China, North China, as well as the Yellow River and Huaihe River basins of Henan, Anhui and Shandong provinces.

The disaster often strikes during late spring and early summer, characterized by low rainfall and high temperatures. This period is also particularly critical for wheat as it undergoes heading, flowering and filling stages in these regions.

A sharp rise in temperature during this period leads to reduced air humidity and increased soil water evaporation, severely affecting crop yields and economic development.