Explainer: Why cloudbursts are becoming more common in North India
Cloudbursts—sudden, super-heavy rainstorms—have been hitting North India and Pakistan more often, especially in places like Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh.
These downpours can trigger flash floods and landslides in minutes.
What is a cloudburst?
A cloudburst dumps over 100mm of rain on a small area in just an hour.
It usually happens when warm, moist winds from the Bay of Bengal run into cold mountain air in the Himalayas.
The result? Intense local storms that can damage roads, homes, and even take lives.
How do they trigger flash floods?
Steep Himalayan valleys funnel all that rain into fast-moving streams—so floods get worse fast.
In recent years, deadly cloudbursts have killed hundreds across Uttarakhand and Pakistan's Hindu Kush region.
Scientists say climate change is shifting weather patterns: warmer oceans send more moisture to the mountains, and according to climate scientist Fahad Saeed, jet streams are moving south, making these extreme storms more common.
How to predict them
Because cloudbursts pop up suddenly over tiny areas, predicting them days ahead isn't possible yet.
But meteorological teams in both countries have added more radars across the Himalayas for quicker warnings—helping people get out of harm's way when every minute counts.