
Jul 29, 2026
✦The Hindu
When is heavy rainfall a cloudburst, and when is it not?
The India Meteorological Department says a cloudburst occurs when a small area receives 10 cm of rain in an hour. While heavy rains are common, these events are rare and cause rapid flooding. Former Minister Harsh Vardhan said the IMD recorded around 30 such incidents between 1970 and 2016.