Rio rocks for annual carnival

Even the pouring rain couldn’t put a damper on Brazil's famed Rio de Janeiro carnival as tens of thousands of revellers took to the streets, dancing to the sound of samba drums on the second day of the annual celebration.

Samba rhythms rose above the sound of intermittent rain showers, and many people wielded umbrellas as they fell in behind the “blocos” – as the informal street carnival groups are known.

The samba parade in the specially designed sambadrome stadium is the centrepiece of Rio’s carnival celebrations, which began Friday and will run until the wee hours of Ash Wednesday.

The groups parade with thousands of elaborately costumed dancers, hundreds of drummers and a slew of elaborate floats. The spectacle is televised live across the nation.