A woman stands on a seaside promenade against pre-monsoon clouds in Kochi, Kerala. (Reuters Photo)

Southwest monsoon rains arrived at the Kerala coast and the Northeast today in line with the India Meteorological Department or IMD forecast, a source in the weather office said.The IMD's predicted onset date for southwest monsoon to hit the Kerala coast is June 1, making this year's monsoon arrival the earliest since 2011. The arrival of monsoon rains two days before the onset date has also brightened the outlook for higher farm output and robust economic growth.Cyclone Mora brought early monsoon to the Northeast, IMD Director General KJ Ramesh told news agency PTI."All the required conditions have been met," a weather office source told news agency Reuters.The IMD declares the arrival of monsoon rains only after parameters measuring consistency of rainfall over a defined geography, intensity, cloudiness and wind speed are satisfied.Andaman and Nicobar Islands that are usually the first areas to receive the monsoon rains, received rainfall six days ahead of schedule earlier this month.The IMD on April 18 forecast this year's monsoon rains at 96 per cent of the 50-year average of 89 centimetres. The southwest monsoon delivers about 70 per cent of India's annual rainfall.

Farmers plant rice, cane, corn, cotton and oilseeds during the rainy months of June and July. Harvest starts from October.(With inputs from Reuters, PTI)