The drought in north China is getting worse.
officials changed the warning color from blue to yellow which alarms advancement in drought severity.
The office of flood control and drought relief headquarters said Shanxi had only received 20.4 millimeters of rain since October 2008. The same four month period in 2007 had 49.7 mm of rain which is 59 percent more.
A total of 2.07 million hectares of farmland across the parched province have been affected by the drought, including 544,000 hectares of crops, according to the office.
The local weather observatory predicts no major precipitation in the near future.
Because the drought warning is now yellow, the provincial government is allocating 10 million yuan (1.47 million U.S. dollars) to subsidize operations to fight the drought.
Locals were also told to preserve the safety of drinking water for humans and livestock.
中国北方旱情日益严峻
官方已经把旱情预警级别从蓝色提升到了黄色。
防汛抗旱指挥部的官员说，自去年10月份以来，山西省的降水量只有20.4毫米，而07年同期该省降水量为49.7毫米，同比下降59%。
以山西省为例，受灾农田总面积为207万公顷其中包括长有农作物的受灾面积54万公顷。
当地气象部门预计短期内不会有明显的降水。
鉴于目前的旱情，山西省政府已调拨1000万元专项资金用于抗旱。并要求全力保障人畜的饮水安全。
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