Current Affair 1:

News:

Causes:

1. Cloudbursts occur when strong upward currents of hot air prevent raindrops from falling, allowing them to grow larger while new smaller drops form below.
2. This leads to a significant accumulation of water in the atmosphere, which is released abruptly when the upward currents weaken.

Cloudbursts frequently occur in the hilly and mountainous areas of the Indian subcontinent, largely due to the region's complex topography, which facilitates orographic lifting.

1. Orographic lifting occurs when air rises and cools as it travels up the windward side of a mountain.
2. This process enhances cloud development and rainfall as moist air ascends over the mountains, with monsoon dynamics and localised weather patterns further influencing these intense precipitation events.

What are the Consequences of Cloudbursts?

Flash floods:

Flash floods are sudden, localized surges in water levels during or after intense rainfall. Flash flooding starts within 6 or 3 hours of heavy rainfall. Intense thunderstorms typically cause it but can also result from dam or levee breaks and mudslides.

Factors like rainfall intensity, location, land use, topography, vegetation, soil type, and water content determine the speed and location of flash flooding.

Landslides:

A landslide is a mass movement of material, such as rock, earth or debris, down a slope. It can happen suddenly or more slowly over long periods of time. Factors like heavy rainfall, erosion, and weathering can trigger landslides.

Mudflows:

It is a type of water flow characterized by its high density and viscosity, containing significant amounts of suspended particles and silt.

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