Cloudburst
A cloudburst is a sudden, exceptionally heavy downpour of rain, usually confined to a small area and lasting a short time.
Convective precipitation: Rain or other precipitation produced when rising air cools and water vapor condenses, often in localized showers or thunderstorms. Rapid uplift and condensation can concentrate a storm’s rainfall into a brief deluge.
Flash flood: A rapid rise of water in a normally dry or low-flow area, usually following intense rain or another sudden water release. Cloudburst rainfall can overwhelm drainage and cause flooding with little warning.
2013 North India floods: A major flood disaster in northern India in June 2013, driven by extreme rainfall and river flooding. Cloudburst reports accompanied destructive flooding in the Himalayan region.
Thunderstorm: A storm involving lightning and thunder, usually accompanied by rain and sometimes hail or strong winds. A cloudburst can occur within a thunderstorm, but the terms describe different features.
Atmospheric convection: Vertical movement in the atmosphere driven by differences in temperature and density. Strong upward currents can build the towering clouds that produce cloudbursts.
Urban flooding: Flooding in built-up areas when rainfall exceeds the capacity of drains, channels, or surrounding surfaces to absorb water. Impervious pavement makes brief, intense rain especially difficult to manage.
2010 Leh cloudburst: A severe rainstorm and flash-flood disaster that struck Leh, Ladakh, on 6 August 2010. This event is a well-documented example of a cloudburst striking a dry mountain town.
Torrential rain: Rain falling at an exceptionally high rate, often causing rapid runoff or flooding. This describes rainfall intensity without requiring a short duration or small footprint.
Cumulonimbus cloud: A tall, dense cloud associated with thunderstorms, heavy precipitation, lightning, and sometimes hail. These storm clouds can release intense rain over a limited area.
Surface runoff: Water that flows over the land surface instead of infiltrating into soil. When rain falls faster than soil can absorb it, runoff rises rapidly.