Meteors are the debris left in the wake of a passing comet.
When Earth crosses that wake during its own orbit, some of the particles fall into the atmosphere and vaporize, causing brief and sometimes bright streaks of light during their entry. Always try to observe far away from the light-polluted areas, which hide the faint meteors, and a clear night is needed also for meteor observation. To see the peak of any shower, firstly, the peak must occur at night, secondly, the radiant must be above the horizon. Else you may only witness a part of the shower's peak. The radiant's altitude should be high above the horizon to see more meteors.