The first snowfall since the Spring Festival fell across most parts of north China's Hebei province on Wednesday, bringing a temporary relief the ongoing drought in the region, a local newspaper reported.

The snow brought an end to more than 100 days which have essentially seen neither rain nor snow in the province.

According to meteorologists, the snowfall, which began on Wednesday night, will increase the level of moisture in the soil, reducing fire risks, and relieving the drought in the province to certain extent, though it is still "not enough".

To tackle the continuing drought, the provincial government has allocated special funds for drought-affected wheat fields, with 20 yuan for each mu (about 0.067 hectare) of affected field. About 6.1 million mu (about 406,700 hectares) land is estimated to have been affected by the lack of rain.

In addition, the government has initiated a campaign to protect the harvest, mobilizing agricultural experts to provide technological services and assistance to farmers to guarantee the crop harvest. A monitoring system also will be established to monitor the drought.

By Chen Keyu