Yunnan's worst drought in living memory is over, although more rain is needed to refill depleted wells and reservoirs across the province, according to a statement released by government meteorologists last week.

According to the provincial meteorological bureau, the rainy season is fully underway in most parts of Yunnan and soil moisture is high enough to resume agriculture.

The welcome news comes after months of drought stretching back to last summer, when the rainy season produced only about 70 percent of the normal amount of rain in Kunming. This was followed by an unusually warm and dry winter in which many areas had no rain for months on end.

The drought caused at least 18 billion yuan in direct economic losses, approximately US$2.5 billion, with Kunming alone spending about 600 million yuan on drought relief.

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