• UGI USER
  • Jan 06, 2023
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Explain the mechanism and occurrence of cloudburst in the context of the Indian subcontinent. Discuss two recent examples.

Introduction

A cloudburst is defined as an intense downpour that lasts only a brief time and is occasionally accompanied by hail and thunder. It is defined by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) as unexpected precipitation that exceeds 100mm (or 10 cm) per hour across a region of land that is between 20 and 30 square kilometres.

Body

Mechanism of a cloudburst.

  • When moisture-carrying air climbs a mountainous terrain, it forms vertical columns of clouds called cumulonimbus clouds, which are what cause a cloudburst.
  • Typically, these clouds produce rain, thunder, and lightning. These unstable clouds generate a strong deluge over a constrained region after becoming heavy enough and locking in the valleys and ridges between the hills; this upward migration of the clouds is referred to as a “orographic lift.”
  • The air’s upward momentum provides the cloudburst with the energy it needs to occur. Most cloudbursts take place between 1,000 and 2,500 metres above sea level, and they are followed by significant flooding and landslides.

Occurrences of Cloudbursts: Mainly due to the geography and altitude, they are more likely to arise in mountainous regions. In India, Himalayan and mountainous regions like Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir, etc. are where cloudbursts are most frequently reported. examples of recent cloud bursts.

  • In 2013, landslides and heavy rains in Uttarakhand resulted in at least 30 fatalities, with a substantial number of deaths reported in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand as a result of a cloudburst.
  • On October 20, 2021, a cloudburst passed over the Tamil Nadu town of Pethanaickenpalayam in the Salem district. As a result, there was 213 mm of rain in one day. Ponds nearby swelled, and the lake at Thennakudipalayam did as well. Vasishta Nadi flooded, filling the Attur check dam to the brim.
  • August 2022 – Several people have been killed in the destruction caused by cloudbursts and flash floods in different parts of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Mitigation measures to be taken against cloudburst

  • Disaster response, evacuation, and rescue
  • Increasing the human resource capacity and capabilities of Panchayati raj organisations, disaster management agencies, and NGOs for cloudburst management.
  • Ensuring that rainwater drains freely.
  • Watershed management helps to stabilise the hilly terrain and improves response to landslides and flash floods that ensue.

Conclusion Climate change is said to have increased the intensity and frequency of cloudbursts and therefore there is a need to take further mitigation, adaptation and awareness measures against cloudbursts.