China's meteorological authority announced on Monday that it has received 7.5 million yuan ($1.14 million) from the country's Ministry of Finance to strengthen its efforts in fighting persistent drought in some regions.

The fund would be used to support efforts by meteorological departments in Shanxi, Hebei, Anhui, Shandong, and Henan provinces, all major crop-producing regions, to conduct activities for seeding clouds and making artificial rain, according to a statement posted on the National Meteorological Administration website.

Government data shows that a prolonged drought since last October had affected 108.24 million mu (7.22 million hectares) of wheat crops in those provinces, as well as Jiangsu, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces, as of Sunday.

The statement added that some of the affected regions experienced two rounds of snowfall last week, which were helpful in alleviating the drought. However, the major wheat-growing provinces of Shandong and Henan recorded no rainfall.

The country's meteorological authority also predicted no significant rainfall or heavy snowfall for the dry regions over the next three days.

(Xinhua News Agency February 14, 2011)