Last year's unprecedented prolonged heat that scorched most of southern China astounded the world, and just when we thought the nightmare was finally over, Guizhou, a southwest Chinese province, has been fighting a lingering drought since last August.

Since August 2022, the average precipitation in Guizhou has dropped by nearly 57 percent compared to the same time last year, making it the lowest since 1961. The drought that has lasted from last summer to this winter has become the worst in recorded history, according to the provincial climate center.

"Last summer, a prolonged heatwave in southern China exacerbated the drought," said Wang Yuetong, engineer at the Guizhou Climate Center. "Because of the ongoing influence of La Nina, the Philippine cyclonic circulation and the India-Myanmar trough are weak, affecting water vapor transport in the south, and the winter is dominated by less rain. As a result, Guizhou has experienced three seasons of drought since last year."

Wang believes the drought could be effectively alleviated based on their observations of precipitation conditions in the coming spring. However, ocean (sea temperature, polar ice, etc.) and land surface (snow cover, etc.) factors have a large impact on climate prediction, and the evolution and impact of these factors in the future are also uncertain, so they will closely follow the changes and deliver the timely weather forecast. 

At the moment, local drought relief measures mainly include water conservation, water diversion and the discovery of new water sources. If none of these measures can guarantee people's normal lives, the township government will bring water to them. These measures have been in place for nearly half a year.

Furthermore, Wang's department will make recommendations to relevant departments, such as: people should pay attention to fire safety and forest fire prevention, seize the opportunity to harvest economic fruits and vegetables on time, and do a good job in water storage and water conservation at local reservoirs.

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