Floods and Heat: Severe Weather in China Threatens Crops

Farmers in China continue to face severe weather conditions, from floods to droughts, which threaten crops including rice. Heavy rainfall inundated vast areas of the country over the past week, prompting the Chinese meteorological agency to issue a series of warnings. More rain is expected along the Yangtze River, with water levels in some parts of northeastern Guangxi potentially reaching 150 mm (5.9 inches) by tomorrow, Wednesday. The largest rice-growing regions in China—Jiangxi and Hunan—are facing additional rain and flooding, and corn and cotton crops are also at risk. On the other hand, temperatures are expected to rise throughout southern China later this week, which could further disrupt rice production, according to Bloomberg News citing the meteorological office.