Heat wave threatens crops in China, which also suffers from storms

The climate center in Shandong, the province responsible for 10% of China's corn production, warned that persistent temperatures between 35°C and 39°C could harm summer crop production, Bloomberg reports. High humidity caused by monsoons can also increase the risk of crop diseases, the center added.

Further north, authorities in Liaoning – which contributes 7% of national corn production – have also expressed concern. In another statement, Vaisala meteorologist Kyle Tapley said there was potential for heat stress on corn and soybean crops in Liaoning and Inner Mongolia.

The intense heat is also expected to hit Xinjiang, the autonomous region where almost all of China's cotton is grown. Continued heat and drought could reduce Xinjiang's output by up to 5% this month, according to weather forecasting firm Marcus Weather Inc..

China has allocated US$319 million (R$1.6 billion) to water conservation and disaster relief funds, according to Reuters. The initiative aims to help prevent agricultural disasters and repair water conservation engineering facilities, the country's Ministry of Finance said.

In addition to the heat, China suffers from intense rain. Authorities warned of the risk of storms in several parts of the country, with storms concentrated in Shaanxi, in the northwest, and Sichuan, in the southwest, where residents were evacuated from high-risk areas, reports Reuters.

In northwest China's Gansu province, at least 25 people died after flash floods on July 26, which also left 23 people injured, according to the SCMP. Large regions of the province continue to suffer from the impacts of last week's heavy rains, which caused rivers to overflow.