After experiencing one of the worst droughts in decades, residents along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, are finally welcoming rainfall.

The downpours started in Jiangxi and Hunan provinces on Friday night, followed by a heavy storm in Anhui early Saturday morning. This is easing the effects of the long dry spell.

The precipitation level has reached 50 millimeters in northern Jiangxi. The water mark at Poyang, the nation's largest freshwater lake, is also starting to rise, after recently hitting the lowest point in recorded history. Local farmers are using more than 500 agricultural machines to seed rice and replant cotton.

The timely rain is serving to reduce their losses. The Central Meteorological Bureau canceled its drought yellow alarm on Friday.

Forecasters also predict most dry areas will experience downpours in the next 3 days. Hubei, Hunan, and Jiangxi provinces may even receive thunderstorms.

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