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© unknownA Chinese farmer shows the dried vegetable seeds at his drought-striken fields in Zhouping, east China's Shandong province in January 2011.
Several Chinese provinces that have been hit by a months-long dry spell are expected to receive heavy rains soon, helping to ease the drought along the country's biggest river, the Yangtze, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Friday.

Citing the China Meteorological Administration, Xinhua said rainstorm alerts had been issued Friday evening for part of Chongqing municipality, as well as the provinces of Guizhou, Hunan, Hubei, Anhui, Jiangxi and Zhejiang.

Xinhua cited unnamed experts as saying the rains should ease central China's worst drought in decades, which has hurt crops and cut power from hydroelectric dams.