What is Cloudburst? Its Causes, Effects, and Forecasting

A cloudburst is an intense and localized burst of heavy rainfall, often accompanied by thunder and hail. Know What is Cloudburst, Its Causes, Effects, and Forecasting here.

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On August 1-2, 2024, several cloudbursts occurred across Himachal Pradesh, causing severe flash floods and extensive damage. The affected areas include Nirmand, Sainj, Malana in Kullu, Padhar in Mandi, and Rampur in Shimla. The most significant damage occurred in the Samej area of Rampur subdivision, where a cloudburst near Shrikhand Mahadev triggered flash floods in Sarpara, Ganvi, and Kurban nullahs.

What is Cloudburst?

A cloudburst is an intense and localized burst of heavy rainfall, often accompanied by thunder and hail. It occurs when cumulonimbus clouds, which are filled with moisture, release their contents suddenly due to rapid changes in atmospheric conditions. It’s likened to “a huge bucket of water being tipped over” due to the sudden release of accumulated rainwater.

Recent Examples of Cloudbursts

Date	Location	Details	Impact
August 2024	Himachal Pradesh	Multiple cloudbursts in Nirmand, Sainj, Malana, Padhar, Rampur	Flash floods, significant damage, loss of life, ongoing rescue operations
May 2018	Belagavi, Karnataka	Cloudburst resulted in 95 mm of rainfall within one hour	Heavy rainfall, localized flooding
May 2021	Chamoli and Tehri, Uttarakhand	Severe cloudbursts causing extensive damage	Major destruction, severe impact
July 2021	Kishwar, Jammu and Kashmir	Fatal cloudburst with significant casualties	High fatalities, substantial damage

Manali Cloudburst 2024

In 2024, Manali faced a severe cloudburst, unleashing intense rainfall that caused flash floods and landslides. The disaster resulted in multiple fatalities, significant infrastructure damage, and major disruptions to transportation, including the Chandigarh-Manali National Highway. Rescue operations were swiftly mobilized by the NDRF and local authorities to assist affected individuals and restore essential services. The government issued safety advisories and emphasized the need for improved infrastructure resilience and advanced early warning systems to better prepare for and mitigate the impacts of such extreme weather events in the future.

Kedarnath Cloud Brust

Heavy rainfall in Kedarnath has led to at least 10 deaths and significant damage to both concrete and footbridges. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reviewed the situation, with rescue teams working overnight to relocate people and ensure safety. Relief operations are ongoing in severely affected areas, and the government has issued advisories for Chardham Yatra pilgrims to delay their journey due to hazardous weather conditions.

What causes Cloudburst?

Cloudbursts happen when high-altitude clouds, particularly cumulonimbus clouds, release large amounts of rain rapidly. This can be triggered by cold air pushing down on the water-laden clouds, forcing the water to fall quickly. Climate change and global warming are increasing the frequency and intensity of such events.

Cumulonimbus Clouds Formation: Large, vertically-developed clouds capable of holding significant moisture.
Rapid Updrafts: Warm, moist air rises quickly, leading to cloud formation. This air can remain suspended in the cloud due to strong updrafts.
Cold Air Descents: Cold air masses descending into the cloud force water droplets to condense rapidly, leading to heavy rainfall.
High Humidity: High levels of atmospheric moisture contribute to cloud formation and heavy precipitation.
Topographic Influences: Mountains and hilly terrains force moist air to rise, enhancing cloudburst formation.
Atmospheric Instability: When warm, moist air is overlaid by cooler, denser air, it can lead to rapid convection and intense rainfall.
Temperature Differences: Significant temperature differences between upper and lower atmospheric layers can cause rapid condensation and sudden heavy rainfall.

Properties of Cloudbursts

Rainfall Intensity: Typically, rainfall exceeds 100 mm (10 cm) within an hour.
Localized Impact: This affects a relatively small geographical area, usually 20-25 square kilometers.
Langmuir Precipitation Process: Involves the amalgamation of small droplets into larger ones before falling.
Flash Floods: Often trigger rapid and severe flooding in low-lying areas.

Cloudburst’s Effects and Impact

Flash Floods: Sudden, intense flooding from extreme rainfall overwhelming drainage systems.
Landslides: Rapid downward movement of soil and rock, triggered by heavy rainfall.
Mudslides (Debris Flows): Flow of water-saturated soil and debris causing significant property damage.
Forest Destruction: Uprooting of trees and loss of vegetation affecting wildlife and biodiversity.
Wildlife Impact: Habitat destruction and casualties among animals due to flooding and landslides.
Land Subsidence: Sudden sinking or settling of the ground caused by excessive water erosion.
Infrastructure Damage: Washing away or damaging roads, bridges, and utilities, disrupting transportation and services.
Economic Impact: Property damage and agricultural losses lead to high repair costs and increased food prices.
Social Impact: Displacement of residents, health risks from waterborne diseases, and strain on healthcare systems.
Challenges in Rescue and Relief: Difficulty accessing affected areas and managing emergency resources.

Couldbrust Detection and Forecasting

Rapid Formation: Cloudbursts form quickly, making detection challenging.
Weather Satellites: Limited resolution prevents accurate forecasting of localized cloudbursts.
Rainfall Radars: Often insufficient to capture the small-scale, intense rainfall of cloudbursts.
Ground Monitoring Stations: Typically unable to detect the sudden onset of cloudbursts.
Advanced Weather Radars: New technologies are emerging but are still costly and in development.
Climate Change Impact: Increasing frequency and intensity of cloudbursts due to global warming.
Research and Development: Ongoing efforts to improve forecasting and early warning systems.
Timely Updates: Some radar systems can now provide better, though still limited, warnings.
Preparedness Measures: Emphasis on improving local infrastructure and emergency response to mitigate impact.

Cloudbursts UPSC

Cloudbursts are powerful and sudden meteorological events that can cause significant damage to communities and the environment. Understanding the causes, effects, and challenges associated with cloudbursts is crucial for effective disaster management and mitigation. As climate change continues to influence weather patterns, improving detection and forecasting technologies will be essential for minimizing the impact of these intense rainfall events. By staying informed and prepared, communities can better protect themselves against the destructive forces of cloudbursts.

Cloudburst FAQs

How does a cloudburst happen?

Cloudbursts occur when there is an intense and heavy downpour, often accompanied by thunderstorms. These events happen when warm air currents impede the normal descent of raindrops, leading to the accumulation of water.

Is cloudburst a disaster?

Mountain cloudbursts cause sudden and destructive floods.

How long can a cloudburst last?

A single-cell cloud may last for an hour and dump all the rain in the last 20 to 30 minutes, while some of these clouds merge to form multi-cell storms and last for several hours. Cloudbursts, hence, occur mostly over the rugged terrains of the Himalayas, Western Ghats, and northeastern hill states of India.

Which area in India is prone to cloudburst?

In India, cloudbursts occur during monsoon season over orographically dominant regions like Himalayan region, northeastern states and Western Ghats.

Is cloud bursting real?

Cloud bursting is the practice of dynamically scaling public cloud resources to run workloads when on-premises data center resources are at their peak capacity. The overflow traffic “bursts” to a public cloud without causing an interruption in service.