Here is a thing

that you might appreciate if you are a farmer (in the city (or otherwise)) or have a very large vegetable garden: if there is a drought, and it pretty much doesn't rain for a long time, and then it rains a bit and then later a bit more and then later a bit more, and so now lately it has been raining somewhat regularly but still not very much, it does not mean that the drought is over, or even that the drought is improving, but only that the drought is getting worse less quickly.

(If you insist on being whiggish about things you might say that the rate at which the drought is worsening is improving.)