Monsoon finally hits Delhi

NEW DELHI: After playing hide and seek for many days, the monsoon rains finally hit the national capital on Sunday morning, cooling the weather after days of sweltering heat.

People came out into the streets to enjoy the first shower of monsoon rains. Children played football in parks.

Blistering heat coupled with high humidity had stopped most people from venturing out in the daytime. The monsoon, which was expected to hit the city by June 29, was delayed by more than 10 days this time.

The monsoon kept eluding the city for the last few days even as the met department predicted that it would rain.

"The monsoons have arrived," said R.D. Singh, director, Delhi, India Meteorological Department. "The city will have cloudy sky with rains or thundershowers over the next two days," he said.

The city recorded 1.7 mm of rain till around 10.30 a.m.

Temperatures, which had soared to near 40 degrees Celsius in the last few weeks, came down by several degrees. The maximum temperature recorded Sunday noon was 27 degrees Celsius.