Hot Temperatures In China Expand Dryness
By Andrew Owen
Kansas City, May 18 (World Weather Inc.) – Northern portions of the North China Plain and northeastern China have been 
dealing with a little dryness at times this spring. Recent hot temperatures and continued limited rainfall led to an expansion of the driest region deeper into the North China Plain this past week raising the need for greater rainfall. The region irrigates quite a bit of the winter crop, but spring and summer crops are more dependent on natural rainfall. Seasonal rain usually begins in late May and early June making the importance of a weather change in the next few weeks relatively high. Dryness from Shanxi to western Heilongjiang and northward into eastern portions of Inner Mongolia has already had some impact on unirrigated sugarbeet and spring wheat development, but the biggest concern is for summer crops if, and only if, the dry bias prevails well into June. There will be opportunities for timely rain over the weekend and beginning of next week, although the beneficial aspects of the rain may be limited and of short duration.
Several areas from Liaoning, northern Jilin, and neighboring areas in Inner Mongolia through northern Hebei and neighboring areas reported drier than normal conditions in April and earlier this month. Much of the Northeastern Provinces were also drier than normal in March. The lack of abundant rainfall has allowed some areas to dry down and recent warm temperatures have accelerated the process. Most of the driest areas in recent weeks has occurred from Shanxi to western Heilongjiang and northward into eastern portions of Inner Mongolia. Rainfall over this past week was restricted over a larger part of the North China Plain while temperatures trended very warm to hot.
The ground slowly dried earlier this spring due to the below average rainfall. Warm weather during the past week promoted more aggressive drying across northern China with daytime highs often peaking into the 80s and lower 90s Fahrenheit. Extreme highs Wednesday reached 100 degrees in Henan. Soil moisture is short or 
very short from Hebei, Shanxi, and neighboring areas through much of Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, and northern Jilin.
Dryness is not normally a large concern for the North China Plain and Northeastern China at this time of year. Seasonal rainfall normally begins in June just in time to support planting, emergence and establishment of most summer grain, oilseed, rice and cotton crops. However, the drier than normal biased environment that is already in place may generate a little stress and strain for some early planted crops and may also delay fieldwork for a while if significant rain does not evolve soon. Livestock stress and poor grazing conditions are also possible along with enough stress to reduce milk production.
Continued dryness coupled with warm weather will further deplete soil moisture across northern China into the weekend, but 
some relief is expected briefly Sunday into Monday as a cool front and associated showers and thunderstorms impact the region. Several areas from Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia through Liaoning and southern Jilin will receive 0.40 to 1.25 inches of rain with locally greater amounts. Other production areas will receive a trace to 0.40 inch of rain. Mostly dry weather will occur most other days during the coming week and will continue May 26 – June 1.
This weekend’s frontal boundary will briefly promote a short term bout of cooling returning temperatures to a seasonable range for about two to three days. High temperatures Sunday and Monday will briefly drop to the 60s and 70s with pockets in the 80s. Warming will return next week and extreme highs back into the 80s and 90s are expected during the middle and latter part of the week. The return of warm weather next week will cause much of this weekend’s and Monday’s rain to be lost to evaporation after only a temporary reprieve from the hottest and driest conditions. .
Crop establishment and planting conditions may briefly improve from the Sunday/Monday rain event. However, amounts will be insufficient to support improved crop and field conditions for very long and follow up rain will be very important in June.
In the meantime, portions of the Yangtze River Basin will continue to deal with abundant moisture through the end of next week. Flooding was often reported in recent weeks that promoted poor or uneven establishment and development. Winter wheat and rapeseed maturation and harvesting also advanced under poor conditions. Alternating periods of rain and sunshine will continue through the end of next week before a drier biased environment evolves during the last few days of May. Abundant topsoil moisture will continue to promote poor maturation and harvesting, along with uneven spring crop establishment and development, until the drier biased environment evolves.
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