India's monsoon rains arrive eight days early, says weather bureau

(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.

(Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav; Editing by William Mallard)