More than 362,500 people in northeast China's Liaoning Province are suffering from drinking water shortage due to an ongoing drought, local officials said on Saturday.

A farmer checks his dried field in Shajin Village of Fuxin city, northeast China's Liaoning Province, on August 14, 2009. The central, eastern and southern parts of Liaoning Province begin to be confronted with drought besides the severely suffered western and northern parts. About 18.4464 million mu of crops have been threatened and about 422,400 people and 124,700 head of livestock are suffering from drinking water shortages due to the drought. [Xinhua]

The flood control and drought relief headquarters in Liaoning said the daily water shortage is 101,200 tons, causing a drinking water shortage for 362,500 people and 108,700 heads of livestock. The northwestern part of the province is the worst affected.

The drought also hits crops on nearly 15 million hectares in northwest Liaoning, accounting for 31 percent of the total farmland in the province.

The temperature of Chaoyang City in western Liaoning hit 40.8 degrees. The average figure for western Liaoning is 38 degrees Celsius.

The hot weather may be mitigated this weekend, according to the local weather forecast.

The Liaoning provincial government has invested 112 million yuan (US$16.4 million) in drought relief.

More than 550,000 people joined in drought relief work in Liaoning.

Since June, the drought has plagued north China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Innner Mongolia, Shanxi, Liaoning and Jilin provinces.

(Xinhua News Agency August 15, 2009)