China issues first nationwide drought warning of the year

Chinese authorities have issued the first national drought warning in 2022 amid massive wildfires and crop threats, Channel News Asia reports.

China introduced a "yellow" level of weather danger on August 18, the "yellow level" is two levels away from the maximum threat, Interfax reports.

For several weeks, abnormal heat has been observed along the course of Asia's longest river, the Yangtze, from Sichuan in the southwest to Shanghai in the river delta.

Poyang Lake in Jiangxi Province on the right bank of the Yangtze River has dried up to a quarter of its normal size for this time of year.

About 66 rivers have also dried in 34 counties of Chongqing Municipality.