RE: Currais Novos rainfall "... another 17mm of rainfall at CN yesterday, the heaviest for the month so far. Already up to 58mm fallen in 7 days. Storms forecast for next week. Could the drought be close to being over??"
The rains have to be heavy and last long enough over an extended period to saturate the ground so that the water table, lakes, and reservoirs rise to sufficient levels. We appear to be getting that now. What we were getting up till lately was not enough to do that and was simply wetting the surface layers that would evaporate.