BAGHDAD, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- Heavy rain falls across Iraq in the past days ended the rain shortage in the winter, easying fears about a severe drought in the coming summer, the Iraqi Meteorological Board said Sunday.

The agency said in a statement that the total rainfall exceeded 2,400 mm throughout Iraq during the past few days.

The heaviest rain fell on the regions in northern and central Iraq, including the northeastern province of Sulaimaniyah, while the lowest rain fall was only 0.2 mm in the city of Nassriyah in southern Iraq, according to the statement.

The rain shortage in the winter prompted drought fears across Iraq as it left the water in the Tigris River in Baghdad to decline to its lowest level, whereas dozens of small rivers totally dried up in central and southern Iraq.

However, the recent heavy rain falls helped ease the drought fears with rise of water levels in the reservoirs, mainly in northern and central Iraq.