NEW YORK – Raindrops of relief began falling Sunday night for parched regions of the U.S., including the Northeast and mid-Atlantic plagued by extreme fire weather and poor air quality.This rain event won’t be drought-ending, but it’s a start. The first rounds of rainfall in weeks will help improve conditions for firefighters across the region battling extreme conditions fueled by dry leaves and winds. “We are going to end those dry streaks, but it’s just going to take its own time,” FOX Weather Meteorologist Jane Minar said.It’s been 22 years since New Jersey has experienced extreme drought conditions, which is ongoing in southeastern parts of the state. Drought, falling leaves and gusty winds have created dangerous fire conditions. Fires in New Jersey and New York have triggered unhealthy air alerts across the tri-state region.The dry conditions have been record-breaking for some cities, including Philadelphia. It’s been 42 days since the city of Brotherly Love saw measurable rain, breaking the previous 29-day record set in 1874.Through Tuesday, most of the region will see about a half-inch of rain, with higher totals in western Pennsylvania.”Drought is a much longer-term event than most of the hazardous weather we talk about, so one rain event, generally, isn’t enough to make any significant dent in drought conditions,” the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, New Jersey, said. “Please continue to heed any burn bans or water conservation efforts your localities may have!”The moisture moved into the mid-Atlantic by Sunday evening and the Northeast later Sunday night.Light showers fell in New York City on Sunday evening, and a quarter to a half-inch of rain is forecast for the area. Rainfall in the Washington, D.C. area ended a record 38-day dry streak for Washington, Baltimore, and Dulles airports. HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER”It’s just the kind of rain that we’re looking for to start our process of drought-busting,” FOX Weather Meteorologist Ari Sarsalari said.According to the FOX Forecast Center, pockets of downpours and lighter rain may linger overnight for the morning commute in cities such as Boston and New York.