The seasonal rainfall pattern has changed, with gradually increasing winter precipitation but decreasing summer rain. In summer, the frequency of gentle and continuous rainfall covering large areas has decreased, and heavy and pouring rainfall covering small areas often occurs. Dryness has increased by 3-10 per cent in the deserts and by 10-15 per cent in the forest steppe and high mountain zones, due to a sharp increase in temperature and decrease in rainfall during the warm season.