There has not been any rain in Pingtan for 16 consecutive days – which is classified as a light summer drought - and forecasters predict that there will be no rain until the end of the week.

The island county of Pingtan normally experiences relatively cool temperatures in the summer, but the mercury reached 34 C in the last few days.

The county's meteorological bureau said Fujian province will continue to experience drought conditions due to the influence of the strong subtropical high pressure system. On August 6, Fuzhou city temperatures reached 40 C, a record high in the city for August.

The meteorological bureau and the fire prevention office issued a forest fire warning and urged local residents to take precautions to avoid fires and to save water.

The department of flood control and drought relief focused on water storage measures for farmland and the authorities also have the option of creating artificial rain.

Edited by Chen Zhilin and Niva Whyman