India's monsoon rains arrive eight days early, says weather bureau
MUMBAI, May 24 (Reuters) - Monsoon rains hit the coast of India's southernmost state of Kerala on Saturday, eight days earlier than usual, the weather office said, offering respite from a gruelling heat wave while boosting prospects for bumper harvests.
Summer rains, critical for economic growth in Asia's third-largest economy, usually begin to lash Kerala around June 1 before spreading nationwide by mid-July, allowing farmers to plant crops such as rice, corn, cotton, soybeans and sugarcane.
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