A serious drought has hit parts of north China's Hebei Province and is spreading to a wider area, according to the provincial flood and drought control center.

In the first several months of this year, the rainfall in most areas of Hebei was close to or even higher than the average figure in the same period of the past several years except Tangshan and Qinhuangdao in northeast Hebei, which suffered a serious drought.

Since early June, the drought has spread to central and southern Hebei and become more serious. The rainfall in Baoding, Shijiazhuang, Cangzhou, Hengshui, Xingtai and Handan has kept below 25 mm, 50 percent less than the same period of past years.

Rainfall from June 22 to 23 partly eased the drought in Tangshan and Qinghuangdao, but could not prevent its spread in central and southern Hebei.

About one third of Hebei Province is currently struggling with drought.

(Xinhua News Agency July 5, 2003)