Cloudburst : Ramban District Of Jammu And Kashmir
The Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir witnessed torrential rainfall and hail, resulting in severe damage.
- The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported 9 mm of rainfall in 24 hours, marking a 575% increase from the normal 2.5 mm.
- A cloudburst is a localised and extremely intense rainfall event, defined by rainfall of 10 cm or more within one hour over an area of approximately 10 km × 10 km.
- Even 5 cm of rain in 30 minutes over the same area qualifies as a cloudburst.
- Cloudbursts are more common in mountainous regions due to a process known as orographic lift. In this phenomenon:
- Warm air ascends the mountain slope and expands due to lower atmospheric pressure at higher altitudes.
- As it expands and cools, the air releases its moisture in the form of precipitation.
- When large volumes of warm, moist air keep rising and accumulating moisture without releasing it, it can lead to a sudden, violent downpour.
- Because of their localised nature, cloudbursts are difficult to forecast and can overwhelm drainage systems, resulting in flash floods and landslides.
