CLOUDBURSTS
When the Sky Falls
A cloudburst is a sudden, severe downpour concentrated in an area of 20–30 sq km. These are among the most violent weather events on Earth, yet hyper-local. A village could be devastated while a nearby one sees no damage. In regions like the Himalayas, such events trigger flash floods and landslides with catastrophic impact.
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Their very unpredictable nature makes early warnings extremely difficult.
To illustrate the intensity of the rainfall for a small hillside town - it is like emptying a water tank of one lakh litres in just 60 minutes. This is 5-10 times what most cities in India receive in a whole day during the monsoon.
Such rainfall overwhelms any natural or human-built drainage immediately.
In hilly areas, moist air is forced upwards (orographic lift). As it rises, it cools rapidly, forming huge cumulonimbus thunderclouds. Sometimes these clouds release all their moisture almost at once.
High humidity, near-still conditions, and low temperatures make the atmosphere primed.
This is why cloudbursts are common in the Himalayan belt, but can also occur in the Western Ghats.
Unchecked construction on steep slopes and riverbeds magnifies the destruction. Entire streams are blocked or narrowed, leaving no channel for the water to escape except into homes and roads.
Urbanisation in tourist hubs (for example, Shimla, Manali, Kedarnath) has left thousands directly in cloudburst-prone zones.
The disaster worsens when fragile slopes collapse into landslides along with the floods.
Mountain Rain and How It Works
Warm, moist air rises up the mountain slope.
As air goes higher, it cools down and forms clouds.
Strong upward winds keep raindrops from falling.
Strong upward winds keep raindrops from falling.
All the stored water falls at once, through a small outlet.
Results in flash floods, landslides, and damage to roads and buildings
Major incidents
Unchecked construction on steep slopes and riverbeds magnifies the destruction. Entire streams are blocked or narrowed, leaving no channel for the water to escape except into homes and roads.
Urbanisation in tourist hubs (for example, Shimla, Manali, Kedarnath) has left thousands directly in cloudburst-prone zones.
The disaster worsens when fragile slopes collapse into landslides along with the floods.
