A drought in central China's Hunan Province has lasted since early July. [Photo: northnews.cn]

A drought that has lasted since early July has left 384,000 people short of drinking water in central China's Hunan Province, the provincial drought relief headquarters said Tuesday.

Eighty-seven counties of 12 cities and prefectures in the province have been affected by the drought, with about 3.9 million mu (260,000 hectares) of crops damaged and 216,000 heads of livestock short of water, according to the headquarters.

Also in the province, 128 rivers and 124 reservoirs are dry, the headquarters said.

The province has sent 1.8 million people and 11,300 water tankers to irrigate croplands and provide water for 365,600 people, it said.

The drought is expected to continue as the province will see limited rainfall and high temperatures until September, according to the local meteorological department.