Scientists point out that a cloudburst is natural event that occurs under a specific set of meteorological conditions, when hot and moisture-filled air rises rapidly and collides with a cold layer in the atmosphere.
Cloudbursts in mountainous regions of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir have killed dozens of people in recent weeks, sparking questions about how these devastating natural events occurs, with some wondering whether a missile strike could trigger this destructive phenomenon. Here’s what scientists say.
Can missile strikes trigger a cloudburst?
According to meteorologists, the answer is a definitive no. Scientists point out that a cloudburst is natural event that occurs under a specific set of meteorological conditions, when hot and moisture-filled air rises rapidly and collides with a cold layer in the atmosphere, resulting in a sudden dash of heavy rain over a small area.
Cloudburst are particularly common in mountainous regions, but cannot be triggered by any man-made explosion such as a conventional or nuclear missile blast in the atmosphere, even if the explosion is massive. As per nuclear weapons experts, an explosion caused by a missile strike might create a shockwave, smoke and temporary disturbance in the atmosphere, but it cannot trigger the complex physical and chemical factors required for a cloudburst.
While a mushroom cloud generated by a nuclear explosion can temporarily change the rainfall pattern over a specified area, it cannot trigger a cloudburst which requires certain meteorological conditions.
Kishtwar cloudburst
On Thursday, a massive cloudburst led to flashfloods in a remote mountain village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, killing at least 46 people, including two CISF personnel, and trapping many more. Rescue workers have pulled out 167 people from under mounds of rubble, out of which 38 are in a serious condition, officials said.
The Kishtwar cloudburst comes a day after a similar event wreaked havoc Kullu, Shimla and Lahaul-Spiti districts of Himachal Pradesh, while a cloudburst in Dharali village of Uttarkashi district in Uttarakhand killed several people and devastated the entire area on August 5.
