If the news of monsoon setting over Kerala a day in advance was not good enough for ears, Hyderabadis tasted the first bountiful splash of the season on Tuesday, brining cheer to the city that was almost roasted by the unprecedented heat waves.

Heavy rains accompanied by gale winds lashed Hyderabad for more than an hour on Tuesday evening, bringing down the temperatures to bearable levels and making the atmosphere pleasant.

Text: Mohammed Siddique in Hyderabad

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The day temperatures -- which was 43 degrees Celsius on Tuesday and again crossed 40 degrees Celsius on Tuesday afternoon -- decreased to around 35 degrees in the evening.

"It was badly needed. Continuous high temperature and hot winds even during the nights turned life unbearable," said VS Prasad, a resident of Shantinagar in Hyderabad. "The frequent power shut down only added to our woes," added P Lakshmi, a housewife in the same area.

At the same time, the pre-monsoon showers have also exposed the lack of preparations by the municipal authorities in clearing the drainage system in the city.

Merely an hour-long downpour was enough to turn the roads and streets into water-tanks, as vehicles had to wade through up to three feet of water.

Similar scenes were witnessed in Lakdi Ka Pul, Moazzam Jahi Market, Khairatabad and Punjagutta.

The city of 80 lakh people, which reeled under the sizzling summer, will now have to brace up for the rainy days ahead.

As per the schedule, south west monsoon should touch Hyderabad on June 8, but weather office has forecast that it will arrive a day or two in advance.