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Une averse tombant enfin, la sécheresse s'arrête.

Une averse tombant enfin, la sécheresse s'arrête.
A downpour finally falling, the drought stops.
From Lesson 303:Absolute participle clauses·French

Questions & Answers about Une averse tombant enfin, la sécheresse s'arrête.

How does the absolute participle construction work in this sentence?
The phrase Une averse tombant enfin has its own subject (Une averse) that is different from the main subject (la sécheresse). This creates an absolute participle clause. In this sentence, it implies a cause, meaning "Because a downpour is finally falling...".
Why don't we use a word like "avec" to say "With a downpour falling"?
In English, we often use the word "with" for this kind of structure. However, in French absolute participle constructions, you never use avec. You simply place the independent subject (Une averse) directly before the present participle (tombant).
Why is enfin placed after tombant instead of before it?
In French, short adverbs usually follow the verb they modify. Even though tombant is a present participle rather than a fully conjugated verb, it still acts as the active verb of this clause, so the adverb enfin is placed directly after it.
Why is the reflexive verb s'arrêter used here instead of just arrêter?
The non-reflexive arrêter usually requires a direct object because it means to stop something else. When a process, event, or thing stops on its own, like the drought coming to an end in this sentence, French requires the reflexive form s'arrêter.

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