Wet weather: A girl standing inside the complex of a flooded school following heavy rains in Guwahati last week. — AFP
The monsoon, a weather phenomenon that waters more than half of India’s farmland, reached the subcontinent before the usual time, boosting crop outlook and raising hopes the nation will lift remaining curbs on exports of farm goods.
The southwest monsoon, which usually begins its journey in Kerala on June 1, arrived eight days earlier in the southern state – the earliest onset since 2009, according to the India Meteorological Department. The weather bureau has predicted above-average rains this year.
