Cloudburst

Cloudbursts have no strict meteorological definition. The term usually signifies a sudden, heavy fall of rain over a small area in a short period of time. Cloudburst represents cumulonimbus convection in conditions of marked moist thermodynamic instability and deep, rapid dynamic lifting by steep orography. The phenomenon occurs due to sudden upward drift of moisture-laden clouds as a tall vertical column termed “Cumulonimbus clouds.” The ascending moisture-laden clouds become heavier and at certain point they produce violent rainstorm within a short interval. Orographic lifting of moist unstable air releases convective available potential energy necessary for a cloudburst (Das et al., 2006).

A cloudburst is a devastating weather phenomenon representing sudden burst of highly concentrated rain associated with thunderstorm over a small geographical area, generally not exceeding 20–30 km². Cloudbursts are generally accompanied by lightening, thunder, and strong gusts of winds. Rain from...