Many parts of China will receive more rain early this month than in normal years, with average precipitation totals up 30 percent to 50 percent, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) said?in Beijing?on Wednesday.

The CMA forecast that the southern area of northeast China, Guangdong Province and southern Tibet would get 50-80 mm of rain and some places would even get 180 mm.

Also, Sichuan Province and the southern area of Shaanxi Province, which were hit by the May 12 earthquake, were forecast to have 70-90 mm of rain, up 20 percent to 30 percent.

Arid northwestern China will get scattered showers in the next few days, which will ease arid conditions in some regions.

(Xinhua News Agency July 2, 2008)