The China Meteorological Administration says that severe drought in northern China is expected to continue as no major rainfall is forecast for the next ten days.

The drought has affected sixty percent of the wheat crops in the central province of Henan and seventy percent of the wheat in the eastern province of Anhui.

Some areas have barely had any rainfall since November. Precipitation has been estimated to be 70 to 90 percent lower than in previous years.

Yang Guiming, chief forecaster with China's Central Meteorological Observatory, explains the reasons behind the severe drought.

"This winter, cold air in China is strong, while the warm air is relatively weak, and this has caused lower levels of precipitation across northern China."

Yang Guiming adds that although northern China may witness some rainfall in the following days, drought relief will be limited.

"From February 7th until the 9th, some areas in northern China will see rainfall averaging less than three millimetres. This level of rainfall will not play an effective role in relieving the drought."

China's Ministry of Agriculture has sent 12 working teams of experts to the drought-hit provinces, to instruct farmers on drought relief.

The Ministry of Finance has also allocated 100 million yuan, or some 14 and half million U.S. dollars, in emergency funding to help stricken farmers.