What is a cloudburst?
A cloudburst is sudden copious rainfall. It is a sudden aggressive rainstorm falling for a short period of time limited to a small geographical area.
Meteorologists say the rain from a cloudburst is usually of the shower type with a fall rate equal to or greater than 100 mm (4.94 inches) per hour.
Generally cloudbursts are associated with thunderstorms. The air currents rushing upwards in a rainstorm hold up a large amount of water.
If these currents suddenly cease, the entire amount of water descends on to a small area with catastrophic force all of a sudden and causes mass destruction. This is due to a rapid condensation of the clouds.
They occur most often in desert and mountainous regions, and in interior regions of continental landmasses.
During a cloudburst, more than 2 cm of rain may fall in a few minutes. They are called 'bursts' probably because it was believed earlier that clouds were solid masses full of water. So, these violent storms were attributed to their bursting.At least 30 people are feared dead and dozen others reported missing as flash floods battered the north Indian states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
As many as 40 people, including 19 labourers at a project, are missing after flash floods and cloud bursts ravaged Uttarakhand. The government on Sunday asked the ITBP, police and army for help.
Twelve people have already died in the calamity in , said officials.
The government asked the army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and state police to search for the 19 labourers who went missing at a hydel project in Assi Ganga in Uttarkashi, about 180 km from here, late Saturday, officials said.
The government also confirmed the death of 12 people, including three children, in the flash floods, cloud bursts and incessant rains that have ravaged the sub-Himalayan state.
Rain continues in Jammu
Hundreds of people were trapped in various places in Jammu as heavy rains continued on Sunday, triggering landslides and posing a threat to many villages with rivers flowing close to the danger mark. About 50 people were rescued, officials said.
Evacuation efforts were on in villages of Akhnoor area, about 50 km northwest of Jammu, as the Chenab river touched the danger mark.
Amongst those rescued were 26 people trapped in Kathua district due to flash floods Saturday night. They were rescued with the help of police and the army.
Deputy Commissioner Kathua Zahida Khan said: "Twenty-six people, mostly from Gujjar families, were trapped at several places in the flood-hit Ujh. With the help of the police, the army and the civil defence volunteers the people were rescued.
"Near Kot Punnu and Khagial, boats were used by the army."
Over a dozen people were rescued from Samba district where the Basantar river flooded its banks.
A cloudburst is sudden copious rainfall. It is a sudden aggressive rainstorm falling for a short period of time limited to a small geographical area.
Meteorologists say the rain from a cloudburst is usually of the shower type with a fall rate equal to or greater than 100 mm (4.94 inches) per hour.
Generally cloudbursts are associated with thunderstorms. The air currents rushing upwards in a rainstorm hold up a large amount of water.
If these currents suddenly cease, the entire amount of water descends on to a small area with catastrophic force all of a sudden and causes mass destruction. This is due to a rapid condensation of the clouds.
They occur most often in desert and mountainous regions, and in interior regions of continental landmasses.
During a cloudburst, more than 2 cm of rain may fall in a few minutes. They are called 'bursts' probably because it was believed earlier that clouds were solid masses full of water. So, these violent storms were attributed to their bursting.At least 30 people are feared dead and dozen others reported missing as flash floods battered the north Indian states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
As many as 40 people, including 19 labourers at a project, are missing after flash floods and cloud bursts ravaged Uttarakhand. The government on Sunday asked the ITBP, police and army for help.
Twelve people have already died in the calamity in , said officials.
The government asked the army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and state police to search for the 19 labourers who went missing at a hydel project in Assi Ganga in Uttarkashi, about 180 km from here, late Saturday, officials said.
The government also confirmed the death of 12 people, including three children, in the flash floods, cloud bursts and incessant rains that have ravaged the sub-Himalayan state.
Rain continues in Jammu
Hundreds of people were trapped in various places in Jammu as heavy rains continued on Sunday, triggering landslides and posing a threat to many villages with rivers flowing close to the danger mark. About 50 people were rescued, officials said.
Evacuation efforts were on in villages of Akhnoor area, about 50 km northwest of Jammu, as the Chenab river touched the danger mark.
Amongst those rescued were 26 people trapped in Kathua district due to flash floods Saturday night. They were rescued with the help of police and the army.
Deputy Commissioner Kathua Zahida Khan said: "Twenty-six people, mostly from Gujjar families, were trapped at several places in the flood-hit Ujh. With the help of the police, the army and the civil defence volunteers the people were rescued.
"Near Kot Punnu and Khagial, boats were used by the army."
Over a dozen people were rescued from Samba district where the Basantar river flooded its banks.
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