Monsoon Storm Hammers Phoenix Area

PHOENIX (AP) _ Runways at Sky Harbor International Airport were closed for a brief time Thursday night after a monsoon storm dropped nearly 2 inches of rain on the downtown Phoenix area and some surrounding cities.

There were about 15-minute delays in arrivals and departures once Sky Harbor's runways were re-opened, airport officials said.

About 2,600 customers scattered throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area were without power, according to Arizona Public Service spokesman Allen Bunnell.

Some parts of Mesa got more than 2 inches of rain, meteorologists with the National Weather Service said.

Wind gusts of up to 60 mph also were reported in some areas, resulting in some downed trees and power lines in Scottsdale and Tempe.