Cloudbursts
( UPSC Prelims)
News Context
A cloudburst over the Kheer Ganga River, which is a tributary of the Alaknanda River, resulted in flash floods in the Uttarkashi district.
About Cloudburst
Extreme precipitation occurring over a short duration, often accompanied by hail or thunder, can lead to flood conditions. While this can happen in plains, it is more frequently observed in mountainous regions due to orographic lift. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a rain event is classified as a cloud burst if a station receives 10 cm of rainfall within an hour. Recent instances include areas like Kishtwar district in J&K, as well as Chamoli and Dharali in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. Addressing these events poses challenges such as climate change—where a 1°C rise in temperature allows air to hold approximately 7% more moisture—and forecasting difficulties due to the lack of precision in satellite data. Measures to mitigate these risks include the Cloudburst Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Strategy outlined in the National Disaster Management Plan (2019), which incorporates Landslide Hazard Zonation (LHZ), among other strategies.