BEIJING - THE worst drought to hit parts of north China in six decades has left nearly five million people short of water, while officials warn of another dry spell further south, state media reported on Sunday.

A total of 4.6 million people and 4.1 million head of livestock face difficulty accessing drinking water in the north, the Xinhua news agency reported, citing the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.

The figure is up from 3.9 million people affected a week ago, according to earlier state media reports.

The drought, which has hit an area stretching from Inner Mongolia region in the north to Jilin province in the northeast, has lasted since late July, the agency said.

In Liaoning province, next to Jilin, the situation is the worst in 60 years, with half of all arable land having dried up, Central China Television reported earlier on its website.

Meanwhile, the risk of another drought is emerging in the provinces of Hubei and Hunan in central China, which have been hit by a combination of low rainfall and high temperatures, Xinhua said. -- AFP