Himachal Pradesh flash floods: What is cloudburst, know what causes the phenomenon

In the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh, flash floods after cloudbursts have been recorded, with at least 7 people feared dead as a result of the natural catastrophe. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah said they are carefully monitoring the situation in Himachal Pradesh and pledged Chief Minister Jairam Thakur of all assistance.

Also, READ: Cloud burst in Himachal Pradesh: Seven feared dead, at least four washed away

Flash floods prompted by a cloud burst has destroyed a bridge across the Parvati River in the district of Manikaran, officials say.  In addition, heavy rains in Kullu district seem to have claimed the lives of three people. It is estimated that four to six individuals are unaccounted for after a cloudburst hit Chojh village in Challal panchayat of Kullu district around 6 am today.

What is cloudburst? How it causes flash floods?

In meteorology, a cloudburst is a brief, intense, and very concentrated rainfall. Thunderstorms are the most common cause of cloudbursts. A great quantity of water may build up at high elevations during these thunderstorms, and if the upward currents are weakened during this period, the water can all flow down at once, resulting in flash floods.

Cloudbursts are common in mountainous places such as Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.  As the warm air currents of a thunderstorm tend to follow the upward slope of a mountain, cloudbursts are more likely to occur in these places. During a cloudburst, the water is concentrated in valleys and valleys, causing a lot of destruction in mountainous places. Rapid and devastating flooding may occur as a result of mountain cloudbursts.

There has been a lot of destruction in Uttarakhand because of cloudbursts. Several cloudburst-related disasters, notably the June 2013 flash floods, are mentioned on the website of the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA). A cloudburst may be mitigated by a number of methods, including those mentioned by the National Weather Service. Rather to residing in valleys, it recommends that people live on hills with solid ground. Rainwater and surface water infiltration should be checked in locations where ground cracks have occurred, and the proper procedures should be made to prevent it.