Beijing, (AFP) - The Chinese authorities have warned that heat waves and drought in the country, which is witnessing record high temperatures, pose a "serious threat" to agricultural crops for the fall season.

China has been witnessing an unprecedented heat wave in parts of it for weeks. Temperatures reached 45 degrees Celsius in the southwest of the country.

And this heat wave in a large number of regions has led to an alarming drop in water levels and drought that causes a problem for farmers, especially for rice and soybean crops that consume large amounts of water.

In this atmosphere, four ministries called on Tuesday for measures to be taken to protect crops and use water as a "dropper".

The Ministry of Agriculture said in a statement that "the rapid extension of the drought, along with high temperatures and damage caused by the heat, pose a serious threat to agricultural production in the fall."

Specialists have in recent months expressed concern about uncertain harvests this year in China due to health restrictions imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19, which is causing disruption to trade and logistics. They have postponed planting in the spring.

In normal times, China mainly suffers from a shortage of arable land.

During the summer, record high temperatures, sudden floods and droughts were recorded in this Asian country, phenomena that are becoming more and more frequent due to climate change, according to scientists.

The heat wave has forced the authorities in recent days to ration electricity locally, while air conditioners are operating at maximum capacity, which puts pressure on hydroelectric power production, due to the drying up of rivers.

Official data revealed that the heat wave in China led to a decline in the water level in the Yangtze River, the most important inland waterway in the country, to unprecedented levels in some places.

In order to save electricity, shopping centers can only temporarily open from 16:00 to 21:00 in Chongqing Province (southwest), which has a population of 31 million people.

At the other end of the country, Shanghai has temporarily turned off the lights that line the famous Bund Avenue.

The site is known for its skyscrapers that are usually illuminated by a thousand lights at night with countless giant advertising screens and light beams.