Water supplies to nearly 1 million people would dry up if a drought in east China's Shandong Province lasts until the end of March, disaster prevention officials warned on January 27, as much of China's northern region continued to experience less than average rainfall.

The drought is the worst in six decades, said Yang Zhendong, Director of the Shandong Provincial Flood and Drought Control Office.

Little rain had fallen in the province for four consecutive months, with only 12 mm of accumulated precipitation since September 23, about 15 percent the normal level, Yang said.

Official surveys found some 3.2 million people across the province were facing a water shortage. Yang said the drought mostly affected rural residents in mountainous areas.

The government has sent workers to drill wells in those regions and dispatched fire engines to deliver water to affected residents.