2010-03-31 18:41

NANNING - Cloud seeding was initiated on Tuesday and Wednesday in drought-stricken Guangxi in southwest China, but did little to ease the lingering drought, local weather department said Wednesday.

The meteorological bureau of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region said it had carried out 29 cloud-seeding operations to enhance rain amid drizzly and overcast weather in the region.

A spokesman with the bureau said most areas of Guangxi received rain with downpours reported in 32 townships. However, the northwestern part of the region, suffering most from the drought, got little rainfall.

Wednesday's weather forecast showed more rain could be expected in Guangxi from April 1 to 2.

The region's drought relief headquarters said by Wednesday, 105 out of the 109 counties in Guangxi still suffered varying levels of drought. Nearly three million local residents still faced drinking water shortages.

The China Meteorological Administration said Sunday artificial rainfall had helped moisten parts of Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Chongqing Municipality, which had been hit by a once-in-a-century drought that began autumn last year.