Pre-monsoon showers have brought relief to the Indian capital and other northern states after rains brought down mercury by almost 10 degrees Celsius Monday morning after the capital city experienced above 45-degree maximum heat for more than one week, according to local newspaper.

Meanwhile, at least nine persons were killed by lightning in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in northern India Sunday as the region experienced heavy rains, said local newspaper Indian Express.

In the national capital, city-dwellers, after bearing heat with extremely high temperature and massive power cuts and water shortage, came out of their houses to enjoy the rains Sunday evening, according to TV reports.

Local meteorological department said pre-monsoon showers in Delhi are expected to continue over the next two days.

All across India, the monsoon has advanced into some parts of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and southern Orissa and Chhattisgarh and it could become active in parts of Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Sikkim in the next few days, said meteorological department.

The delayed monsoons have brought worries about drought and economic woes to the country's farmers and other sectors as the government is preparing to present its new budget for the year 2009-10 early this month.

Source:Xinhua