The rains hit Vidarbha, Maharashtra, ten days after schedule on Saturday and brought relief to the drought-hit state along with other parts of the country. According to Met department officials, the monsoon usually arrives Maharashtra through its Konkan coast, but changed course to enter through Vidarbha for the first time in six years. It is expected to extend to the rest of the state, including Mumbai and Pune, over the next 48 hours.

Elsewhere in the country, both Himachal Pradesh and Bihar received moderate rain on Saturday, though temperatures remained in the high 30s. Parts of Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha and West Bengal also had rain and thundershowers.

Despite the weather officials’ predictions that the country will experience an above average monsoon this year, the rains have been delayed by almost two weeks at a time when several states are struggling under drought conditions.