Cloudburst

For alternate uses, see Cloudburst (disambiguation).

A cloudburst is an extreme amount of precipitation, sometimes with hail and thunder, which normally lasts no longer than a few minutes but is capable of creating flood conditions.

Properties

Meteorologists say the rain fall rate equal to or greater than 100 mm (3.94 inches) per hour is a cloudburst. The associated convective cloud, can extend up to a height of 15 km above the ground.

During a cloudburst, more than 20 mm of rain may fall in a few minutes. When there are instances of cloudbursts, the results can be disastrous. Cloudburst also responsible for Flash flood creation.

Rapid precipitation from cumulonimbus clouds is possible due to so called Langmuir precipitation process in which large droplets can grow rapidly by coagulating with smaller droplets which fall down slowly.

Record Cloudbursts

Duration	Rainfall	Location	Date
1 minute	1.5 inches (38.10 mm)	Barot, India	26 November 1970
5 minutes	2.43 inches (61.72 mm)	Port Bells, Panama	29 November 1911
15 minutes	7.8 inches (198.12 mm)	Plumb Point, Jamaica	12 May 1916
20 minutes	8.1 inches (205.74 mm)	Curtea-de-Arges, Romania	7 July 1947
40 minutes	9.25 inches (234.95 mm)	Guinea, Virginia, USA	24 August 1906
1 hour	9.84 inches (250 mm)	Leh, Ladakh, India	August 5, 2010
12 hours	45.03 inches (1,144 mm)	Foc-Foc, La Réunion	January 8, 1966
1 hours	5.67 inches (144 mm)	NDA, Pune, India	September 29, 2010
1.5 hours	7.15 inches (182 mm)	Pashan, Pune, India	October 4, 2010
24 hours	91.69 inches (2,329 mm)	Ganges Delta ,India	January 8, 1966

Cloudbursts in the Indian subcontinent

In the Indian subcontinent, a cloudburst usually occurs when a pregnant monsoon cloud drifts northwards, from the Bay of Bengal or Arabian Sea across the plains, then onto the Himalaya and bursts, bringing rainfall as high as 75 millimeters per hour.

India

• On September 28, 1908 - A Cloudburst resulted in a flood where the Musi River was swollen up to 38–45 m. About 15,000 people were killed and around 80,000 houses were destroyed along the banks of this river.
• In July, 1970 — Cloudburst in the upper catchment area led to a 15 metre rise in the Alaknanda river in Uttarakhand. Entire river basin, from Hanumanchatti near the pilgrimage town of Badrinath to Haridwar was affected. An entire village was swept away.^{[citation needed]}
• On August 15, 1997, 115 people were killed when a cloud burst came bustling and trail of death are all that is left behind in Chirgaon in Shimla district, Himachal Pradesh.
• On August 17, 1998 — A massive landslide following heavy rain and a cloudburst at Malpa village killed 250 people including 60 Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims in Kali valley of the Kumaon division, Uttarakhand. Among the dead was Odissi dancer Protima Bedi.^{[citation needed]}
• On July 16, 2003, About 40 persons were killed in flash floods caused by a cloudburst at Shilagarh in Gursa area of Kullu, Himachal Pradesh.
• On July 6, 2004, At least 17 people were killed and 28 injured when three vehicles were swept into the Alaknanda river by heavy landslides triggered by a cloudburst that left nearly 5,000 pilgrims stranded near Badrinath shrine area in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand.
• On 26 July 2005, A cloudburst caused approximately 950 millimetres (37 in) of rainfall in Mumbai. over a span of eight to ten hours; the deluge completely paralysed India's largest city and financial centre.
• On August 16, 2007, 52 people were confirmed dead when a severe cloud burst occurred in Bhavi village in Ghanvi, Himachal Pradesh.
• On August 7, 2009, 38 people were killed in a landslide resulting from a cloudburst in Nachni area near Munsiyari in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand.
• On August 6, 2010, in Leh, a series of cloudbursts left over 1000 persons dead (updated number) and over 400 injured in the frontier Leh town of Ladakh region in Jammu and Kashmir.
• On September 15, 2010 cloud burst in Almora in Uttrakhand has drowned away two villages one of them being Balta, leaving a few people alive and rest entire village dead and drowned. Almora has been declared as a town suffering from the brunt of cloudburst by authorities of Uttrakhand. Had there been a bit more swaying of clouds, town of Ranikhet must have drowned also.^{[citation needed]}
• On September 29, 2010, a cloudburst in NDA (National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, Pune, in Maharashtra state left many injured, hundreds of vehicles and buildings damaged due to this flash flood.
• Again on October 4, 2010, a cloudburst in Pashan, Pune, in Maharashtra state left 4 dead, many injured, hundreds of vehicles and buildings damaged. The record books as the historical highest rainfall in intensity and quantity of the Pune city recorded since 118 years old (record of 149.1 mm in 24 hours)of October 24, 1892. In the history of IT (Information Technology) hub Pune, first time this flash flood also anable Pune people to for over night stay (sleep) in their vehicle, officies and what ever available shelter in the traffic jam.

• +++ October 4, 2010, a cloudburst in Pashan, Pune may be the world’s first predicted cloudburst, in well advanced. Since 2.30 pm in the afternoon of the day, a young weather scientist in the city was frantically sending out SMSes to the higher authorities warning of an impending cloudburst over the Pashan area. After taking the necessary precautions still 4 persons were dead including one young scientist+++.

• On June 9, 2011, near Jammu, a cloudbursts left 4 persons dead and over several injured in Doda-Batote highway, 135 km from Jammu.Two restaurants and many shops were washed away
• On 20 July 2011, a cloudburst in upper Manali, 18 km away from Manali town in Himachal Pradesh state left 2 dead and 22 missing.
• On September 15, 2011 a cloudburst was reported in the Palam area of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. The Indira Gandhi International Airport's Terminal-3 was flooded with water at the Arrival due to the immense downpour. Even though no lives were lost in the rain that lasted an hour was enough to enter the record books as the highest rainfall in the city recorded since 1959.^{[citation needed]}

On Intense rainfalls spell over part of Delhi in the afternoon of 15 Sept 2011: On afternoon of 15 Sept, 2011, intense rainfall spell was observed over IGI Airport of Delhi and Delhi airport had experienced during 1435-1535 a cloud burst like intense rain spell event with rainfall during the period reaching up to 117mm(11.7 cm). Fortunately being not a peak time rush hour and good weather monitoring and warning system in place with ATC, only 1 diverted many were asked to circle around. It is unusual intense spell for Delhi airport. But there was large-scale flooding of road at approach road from RWY underpass of city side of Palm.

The rainfall observation during 0830-1730 IST of 15 Sept 2011 recorded at various stations over Delhi region are as follows:

Name of Station Rainfall in mm IGI Airport Palam 120.0 Safderjung Airport 35.0 Lodi Road 37.7 Ayanagar 31.8 Delhi Ridge 3.8

The main reason for such intense rainfall over parts of Delhi was interaction of westerly and easterly leading to intense convection.

Pakistan

• On July 1, 1977, the city of Karachi was flooded when 207 millimetres (8.1 in) of rain was recorded in 24 hours.
• On July 23, 2001 620 millimetres (24 in) of rainfall was recorded in 10 hours in Islamabad. It was the heaviest rainfall in 24 hours in Islamabad and at any locality in Pakistan during the past 100 years.
• On July 23, 2001 335 millimetres (13.2 in) of rainfall was recorded in 10 hours in Rawalpindi.
• On July 18, 2009, 245 millimetres (9.6 in) of rainfall occurred in just 4 hours in Karachi, which caused massive flooding in the metropolis city.
• On July 29, 2010 a record breaking 280 millimetres (11 in) of rain was recorded in Risalpur in 24 hours.
• On July 29, 2010 a record breaking 274 millimetres (10.8 in) of rain was recorded in Peshawar in 24 hours.
• On August 9, 2011 176 millimetres (6.9 in) of rainfall was recorded in 3 hours in Islamabad flooded main streets.
• On August 10, 2011 a record breaking 291 millimetres (11.5 in) of rainfall was recorded in 24 hours in Mithi, Sindh Pakistan.
• On August 11, 2011 a record breaking 350 millimetres (14 in) of rainfall was recorded in 24 hours in Tando Ghulam Ali, Sindh Pakistan.
• On September 7, 2011 a record breaking 312 millimetres (12.3 in) of rainfall was recorded in 24 hours in Diplo, Sindh Pakistan.

Bangladesh

• In September, 2004 341 millimetres (13.4 in) mm of rain was recorded in Dhaka in 24 hours.
• On June 11, 2007 425 millimetres (16.7 in) mm of rain fell in 24 hours in Chittagong.
• On July 29, 2009 a record breaking 333 millimetres (13.1 in) of rain was recorded in Dhaka, in 24 hours, previously 326 millimetres (12.8 in) of rain was recorded on July 13, 1956.

See also

• Thunderstorm
• Rain
• Flash flood

References

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