Relief Rains on Indonesia

Thunder crackled and lightning flashed over Indonesia’s capital Tuesday, unleashing a heavy downpour for the first time in six months and raising hopes that monsoon rains will soon put out the wildfires choking much of Southeast Asia.

The rain showered Jakarta for half an hour before dawn and left the air clean and moist, in sharp contrast to the thick haze that has stifled the city for months. In the afternoon, a breeze blew through Jakarta’s streets for the first time in weeks.

The El Nino weather phenomenon is blamed for delaying the rainy season, which usually begins in October.

Fires--many set by timber companies, plantation owners and small farmers to clear land--have burned out of control for months, spewing a thick haze from Thailand to Australia.