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Monday, March 22, 1999 Published at 00:46 GMT
World: Africa
Lesotho's prayers answered
Rain fell in the streets of the capital, Maseru
Christians in Lesotho who had gathered to pray for rain had to seek shelter from the deluge as they went home from church.
King Letsie had called for a day of prayer following a prolonged drought in the southern African kingdom, which relies heavily on subsistence agriculture.
The local weather office has predicted more rain is on the way.
However, just in case, next Sunday has been declared another day of prayer for rain.
The mountainous kingdom, which is totally surrounded by South Africa, has been gripped by a crippling drought.
The country relies heavily on agriculture and is expected to have a poor harvest this year as a result of the drought's impact on the staple crop, maize.
If the rains continue they are unlikely to save the summer crops, but could help help in the cultivation of winter crops.
South Africa's industrial heartland is also partly dependent on water from Lesotho, which is channelled down from the mountains from a dam project inaugurated in 1998.
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