China's northern territories have been suffering from severe drought for months. It's a situation that continues to worsen. And while residents in urban areas can turn on a tap, some in Hebei province are not so lucky.

 

Barren and brown. It hasn't rained here for five months. There is no running water and villagers used to depend on wells. But not any more.

A villager said, "The water is no longer suitable for drinking. We wash clothes with it. "

Locals have to fetch water ten kilometers away.

It's far from enough.

For the past four months, taking a bath has been considered a luxury for most families.

The lack of water isn't only affecting villagers, but farmers as well. In some places in Shandong province, crop fields have been parched for the last five months. The lack of rain is causing concern.

A villager in Dengjiazhuang village in Shandong said, "Just look at the wheat. They should all be green by now. "

There is little the local water board can do. The reservoirs are too low to draw water from, and new sources cannot be found.

Weather forecasters say a cold front will sweeps through large parts of China in over the coming days. But whatever rain does fall, it might be too little and too late.