Weather conditions in the Black Rock Desert where the famous Burning Man festival is held have improved significantly allowing citizens who were stranded by heavy rain to be able to move.

Heavy rain turned the event, held in a Nevada desert, into a mud bath, stranding some 72,000 people.

However, the ground today is now dry enough for vehicles to drive on it without getting stuck.

Meanwhile, event organizers have confirmed that the death of a man on Friday night was not linked to the bad weather. They said emergency services were called to help the man, who is said to be in his 40s, but were unable to revive him.

The storm that hit the Black Rock Desert is believed to be the longest and heaviest rainfall since the festival began more than 30 years ago.

Those stranded at the festival were urged to shelter in place and conserve food, fuel and water.

While many remained at the site, some chose to walk 8 km through the mud to the nearest road.

The unusual storms came towards the end of the nine-day festival, when most people gather to watch the grand finale.

Burning Man is one of America’s best-known artistic and cultural events, in which visitors create a temporary city in the middle of the desert.

It was founded in June 1986 and was first held in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert in 1990.