What is a cloudburst? A cloudburst is an extreme form of rainfall, sometimes mixed with hail and thunder in a selected area, mostly limited within the radius of a few kilometers. It normally lasts no longer than a few minutes but is capable of creating flood conditions. Cloudbursts descend from very high clouds, sometimes with tops above 15 kilometers. Meteorologists say the rain from a cloudburst is usually of the shower type with a fall rate equal to or greater than 100mm per hour. During a cloudburst, more than 200mm of rain may fall in a few minutes. When there are instances of cloudbursts, the results can be disastrous.

Cloudbursts in India:- In the Indian subcontinent, a cloudburst usually occurs when a expecting monsoon 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.

Major Cloudburst Tragedies in India: Aug 17, 1998:- A massive landslide following heavy rain and a cloudburst at Malpa village in Kali valley of Kumaon killed 250 people including 60 Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims. Among the dead was Odissi dancer Protima Bedi.

Aug 31, 1960:- 250mm of rain in 3hrs in Mandi and Suketi Valley of Himachal Pradesh, which resulted to the death of 103 people.

July, 1970:- Cloudburst in the upper catchment area led to a 15 metre rise in Alaknanda River. Entire river basin, from Hanumanchatti near Badrinath to Haridwar, affected; the  entire village was swept away.