🌧️ Cloudburst vs. Normal Heavy Rain
Feature Cloudburst Normal Heavy Rain
Rainfall Intensity Extremely high (≥100 mm in an hour over a small area) High, but usually spread over several hours or days
Area Affected Very localized (few square kilometers) Larger area (tens to hundreds of kilometers)
Duration Very short (minutes to a few hours) Longer (hours to days)
Cause Sudden release of water from highly saturated clouds due to strong convection and orographic effects General monsoon systems, cyclones, or widespread thunderstorms
Impact Flash floods, landslides, sudden destruction Flooding, waterlogging, crop damage, but less sudden
Occurrence More common in mountainous terrain (e.g., Himalayas, Western Ghats) Can occur anywhere (plains, coasts, cities, etc.)
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✅ Simple Analogy:
Normal heavy rain = a tap running steadily for a long time.
Cloudburst = a balloon full of water suddenly bursting.
