Meteorological droughts have been reported in districts covered by 112 meteorological monitoring sites in Yunnan Province, with more than half facing severe conditions, People's Daily Online reported.

Wang Desheng, a local farmer, shows the dried-up wheat at Xiaoji Village of Luliang County in Qujing City, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Feb. 17, 2012. [Xinhua]?

The drought is set to continue over the course of the next week, as no significant rainfall has been forecast for Yunnan Province for this period.

According to a report released by the Yunnan Provincial Civil Affairs Department, the drought has affected more than six million people, with 2.5 million facing a shortage of drinking water. Total economic losses have reached 2.342 billion yuan, with agricultural losses reaching 2.219 billion yuan.

Experts from the Yunnan Provincial Meteorological Bureau explained that the seasonal drought, abnormal atmospheric conditions and lack of consistent rainfall over the past three years lead to the current drought.

The Medicinal Materials Chamber of Commerce in Yunnan Province revealed that herbs grown in Yunnan for use in traditional Chinese medicine continue to decline, resulting in continuous price rises.