Cloudbursts: All You Need To Know About The Scary Natural Phenomenon
Cloudbursts: All You Need To Know About The Scary Natural Phenomenon
Shimla
As monsoon rains lash India and other countries of the world, the scary natural phenomenon of Cloudbursts is here to remind us of nature’s fury.
A cloud burst or cloudburst is an intense and sudden heavy downpour of rain in a limited area, causing a sudden deluge, sweeping everything that comes in its way.
There are several instances of such incidents of cloud bursts in Himachal Pradesh and neighbouring state of Uttarakhand.
Usually, cloudbursts are usually localised and can occur during thunderstorms or heavy convective rain events.
Watch video of a heavy downpour during a cloudburst event:
During a cloudburst, the rain can be extremely heavy (over 100mm rain in one hour) which results in rapid accumulation of water and causes flashfloods, landslides etc.
It results in flash floods and landslides which wash away houses, trees, roads and bridges or whatever comes in its way.
The natural phenomenon is more common in mountainous regions where the terrain can enhance rainfall due to orographic lifting.
The upward movement of moist air over elevated terrains forces the air to cool, condense, and form clouds. When these clouds become saturated, they can release their moisture rapidly in the form of a cloudburst.
Effective planning and advanced monitoring and forecasting systems can help mitigate its effects and also prepare communities while responding to such hazards.
The 2013 flashfloods in Kedarnath in Uttarakhand is one such example of nature’s fury where thousands of people lost their lives.
