Cloudburst is a sudden, highly concentrated and extreme downpour of rain, often accompanied by hail and thunderstorms. According to the India Meteorological Department, it is officially classified as rainfall of 100 mm or more within a short 1-hour window over a small geographical area (typically 20 to 30 sq. km).
Cloudburst is a sudden, highly concentrated and extreme downpour of rain, often accompanied by hail and thunderstorms. According to the India Meteorological Department, it is officially classified as rainfall of 100 mm or more within a short 1-hour window over a small geographical area (typically 20 to 30 sq. km).
Mechanism of a Cloudburst
Rapid Uplift: -
Warm, moisture-laden air rises quickly into the atmosphere and cools rapidly, forming massive cumulonimbus clouds.
Trapped Moisture: -
Strong updrafts temporarily prevent the rain from falling, causing the cloud to accumulate an enormous amount of condensed water.
Sudden Release:-
Once the updrafts can no longer support the weight of the water, the cloud "bursts," releasing all its trapped moisture simultaneously in just a few minutes.
Hazards and Impacts
Because of the sheer volume of water dropped in a brief period, cloudbursts immediately overwhelm the drainage capacity of the affected region. This results in severe, often life-threatening hazards, including:
Flash Floods: -
Sudden, rapid surges of water that can wash away infrastructure and drown low-lying areas.
Landslides and Mudslides: -
Heavy downpours loosen the soil on mountain slopes, leading to catastrophic collapses that block valleys and threaten villages.
MJF Lion ER YK Sharma
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