Taiwan announced on Sunday that it would lift water supply restrictions for its central regions following heavy rainfall brought by a tropical storm.

Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua said the water supply in parts of Taichung, Changhua and Miaoli will remain stable through the end of July. Since April, the water supply to those regions has been limited to only five days a week.

Restrictions would be lifted after a week of heavy rain brought by Tropical Storm Choi-wan and seasonal monsoon fronts. Taiwan’s central region has seen accumulated rainfall of over 100 millimeters (4 inches) since the beginning of June, Wang added.

The self-ruled island had been dealing with its worst drought in over 50 years, receiving significantly less rainfall last year due to the lack of typhoons.

Wang said on Sunday that the drought was not yet over, and the government was working on other measures to address water shortages, including a cross-regional water supply network as well as recycled-water and desalination plants.

Taoyuan District in Kaohsiung on Sunday afternoon reported a total of 350.5 millimeters of rainfall over the previous 24 hours — passing the Central Weather Bureau’s threshold for torrential rain.

Authorities evacuated 306 people from the mountainous areas around Kaohsiung and issued 30 code-red landslide warnings in the region.

Taiwanese meteorologist Peng Chi-ming noted the heavy rainfall in Tainan, Kaohsiung and Pingtung. The rainfall resulted in notable increases in water levels at Techi reservoir in Taichung and Feitsui reservoir in New Taipei City, he said.

“The current water supply can last until the end of July. Future rainfall trends are gradually returning to normal,” Peng wrote on Facebook.

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