The chance of precipitation during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games is slim, according to local forecasters on Wednesday.

The capital's rainy season, which usually lasts from late July to early August, was most likely to end sooner as it started 10 days earlier than previous years, Yang Guiming, chief forecaster at the central observatory, told a press conference on Wednesday.

Zhai Panmao, a China Meteorological Administration (CMA) official, supported Yang's point, adding the CMA was preparing to disperse any clouds with chemicals before they hit Beijing.

The country has strived to prevent bad weather conditions from interrupting the Games' opening and closing ceremonies. This included providing accurate weather forecasts on an hourly basis and implementing artificial rain reduction, if necessary.

The Olympic host city recently experienced its wettest June in 15 years.

(Xinhua News Agency July 3, 2008)