Meteorological workers launched silver-iodide missiles at 11:45 AM yesterday in Liyang, Changzhou city, east China's Jiangsu Province, to produce artificial rain.

Six missiles, each costing about 2,000 yuan (US$240), were fired to alleviate the dry spells that have lasted since late May. Rain started to fall 15 minutes after the launch.

(Xinhua New Agency June 28, 2005)