Drought and Snow Hamper China

A drought in China’s south and the cold weather in the north are affecting local economies and disrupting everyday life.

It’s been decades since Yunnan Province was hit with severe drought. It’s the second largest grower of sugarcane and rubber. But local media reported on Wednesday that the crops are threatened by the drought.

The drought started late last year and has also affected the top sugar producing region of Guangxi.

And in Yunnan Province, millions are facing drinking water shortages.

Drought was also reported in the neighboring province of Guizhou and could threaten reservoirs and hydropower-generated electricity supplies.

Meanwhile a new cold front sweeping across the Xinjiang region brought heavy snow and temperature drops.

On Tuesday, there was almost two feet of snow on the ground, the heaviest in years.

An overnight snowstorm completely cut traffic to some areas in the Xinjiang region.

On Wednesday, a weather alert was declared in Heilongjiang Province, with more snow expected.

Snow and below-freezing temperatures were also expected in Inner Mongolia and Jilin Province.