BEIJING - Rainfall in most parts of China since the flood season has markedly eased drought damage and China is unlikely to see a large-scale drought in the fall, according to the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.

Drought-affected arable land has totalled 34,000 hectares so far, accounting for 0.6 percent of period average logged in previous years, the headquarters revealed, adding that Central China's Hubei province was the hardest hit.

Altogether, 450,000 people and 470,000 head of livestock, mainly in Hubei, Inner Mongolia and Liaoning, had difficulty accessing drinking water due to the droughts, the headquarters said.

The damage marked a significant retreat from previous years.

Although a large-scale drought is unlikely to occur this year, the headquarters noted that southwest regions are still likely to be affected in the following months due to scarce inflows of water from the upper and middle reaches of the Huai River.