Characteristics of 2021 Cloudburst Events Based on Insat Data

Cloudbursts are characterized by rapid and intense precipitation. These catastrophic weather occurrences cause significant destruction annually in the North-West Himalayan (NWH) region of India during pre-monsoon and monsoon season. This study identifies and analyzes recent 2021 cloudburst events in this area using high-resolution satellite products from INSAT 3D (OLR, HE Rain, and CTP) and SRTM DEM to examine their spatial-temporal characteristics. Cloud Top Temperature (CTT) and Cloud Top Height (CTH) are estimated using the Stefan Boltzmann Law and Hypsometric equation to understand cloud growth during these events. Findings indicate a significant drop in OLR values approximately 7 hours before extreme rainfall, followed by a substantial decrease in CTT around 4 hours before the event, with CTH increasing from 2 km to a maximum of 20 km. The clouds during these events were identified as high-level deep convective and nimbostratus clouds. This study can aid in developing new methods for nowcasting cloudburst events.