Today, this sad sight still makes people’s hair stand on end. The floating dust, the dim sky, which took the shine off the beautiful sight described by the poets, the grass is tall and the nightingales are in the air, the flowers are blossoming and the willows turn green.

Spring Drought

Huaihe Valley is the transition region between the spring rain in the south and the spring drought in the north. The spring rain lessens from the north part of Qinling Mountains and the Huaihe River. A saying goes like this: “Rain lacks when Clear Brightness (Qing Ming) and Grain Rain fall.” In other words, there is little rain during these two solar terms.

During Grain Rain, people from Hainan Island, the west part of Sichuan, and Guangxi, Northwest and the northern part of China, experience much more rain. There are more fine days with stronger sunlight, greater evaporation, more wind and dust, and drier air. That is why rain, at this time, is as precious as oil. Winter crops such as wheat, rape and other crops need watering since they are in the maturation period. Grain, corn, sorghum, cotton and vegetables sowing in spring also need the rains for thriving. When it rains during this time, its effect is precisely the same as if the sky were to begin raining crops—although that never really happens. If it snows a little in winter, drought will occur. It is very important to take irrigation and artificial rainfall measures in the places with most droughts. Spring drought is also an accomplice to forest fires. This is the critical period for the publication, prevention and prediction of the forest fires.

Convective Weather

Generally speaking, the convective weather of a year reaches its peak between April and August. Disastrous weather such as thunderstorms, hail, hurricanes, and tornadoes increase in most parts of the South. Thus, the prevention of thunder, hail and hurricane must be put at top priority.

Floods

The rain is increases in the middle and lower reaches of Changjiang River and the south, especially in the south China. When the cold air and the warm moist air meet, long-lasting rain will often fall, and it becomes the pre-flood period. The clouds and rain with convective weather not only bring hail and thunder, but also floods and downpours. The rainfall within 24 hours can reach 300 to 400 mm or above, causing overflowing and severe water logging. The deluge for longer times can also cause disasters such as debris flow, landslides, and so on.

Editor: Wen Yi