A week of rain has eased the drought that ravaged China's eastern province of Fujian in the previous two months, says the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters.

Taining County reported rainfall of 231 millimeters in the five days ending November 22.

Rainfall of 100 mm to 199 mm was reported in eight cities and counties and 56 other cities and counties saw rainfall from 50 to 99 millimeters.

About 6.7 million hectares in east China's Fujian Province were affected by the drought. A total of 70,000 people are short of drinking water, local drought relief authorities said on Wednesday.

Almost half of the province's 67 major cities and counties recorded no rainfall for 16 to 31 consecutive days, and 25 counties and cities had no rain for more than 45 straight days. Fuzhou, the provincial capital, had no rain for more than two months, the authorities said.

The rains would enable local farmers to replant winter crops damaged by drought.

The provincial observatory forecast that rain would continue in most of the province in the next two days.

Drought has hit many parts of eastern and southern China in recent months.

Since early September, a severe drought had continued in eastern Shandong Province, leaving over 1.9 million people short of drinking water, according to local drought relief authorities.

South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has been also affected by a severe drought, which is likely to persist this month because of unseasonably warm temperatures, according to water resources authorities.

Since August, the drought has plagued 78 of the region's 84 counties, including county-level cities, the sources said.

From mid August to early November, rainfall in Guangxi ranged from zero to 156.8 millimeters, 20 to 90 percent below seasonal averages.

According to the China Meteorological Administration (CMA), rainfall of less than 20 millimeters was recorded in northeast and north China, the valleys of the Yellow, Huaihe and Yangtze rivers, as well as parts of central and south China in October.

The rainfall in these areas was 50 to 90 percent down on the monthly average, while the temperature was two to four degrees centigrade higher, according to the CMA.

Wednesday is "Slight Snow", one of the 24 seasonal division points on the Chinese lunar calendar, which marks the beginning of a snowy season, which is expected to ease the drought in north and northwest China.

(Xinhua News Agency November 23, 2006)