How does a cloudburst occur?
A cloudburst is a sudden rainfall which can be quite unexpected, very abrupt, and rather drenching. In some cloudbursts, up to 5 inches (almost 13 centimeters) of rain can fall in an hour, often in the form of extremely large droplets. Cloudbursts are especially common in the tropics, although they can occur anywhere, and they are often accompanied with thunder. They are also highly unpredictable, by nature, which can be very frustrating for weather agencies. The term “cloudburst” is the result of the fanciful idea that clouds are filled with water. Historically, some people believed that clouds were essentially like balloons, with solid membranes filled with liquid. In a cloudburst, these balloons would literally burst, pouring torrents of rain out. Although this theory has since been disproved, the term has stuck. Typically, extremely high clouds are involved in a cloudburst, most classically cumulonimbus clouds. The hard rain characteristic of a cloudburst is caused by a phenomenon
