AccuWeather.com reports 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 endured unusually high temperatures and unusually low rainfall since the beginning of September, when conditions usually dry out for the start of the winter 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.
The first round of crops this year failed, but there are hopes for a successful summer corn crop.
BBC estimated that over 50 million people in the province have been affected by the water shortage, deepening poverty.
The dry conditions are being felt as far away as Beijing, where the first big dust storm of the season shrouded the city in orange grit last weekend.
By AccuWeather.com writer Carly Porter and Senior Expert Meteorologist Jim Andrews
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