IMD confirms cloudburst in Kalamassery on May 28th

KOCHI: Apart from Cusat, the Indian Meteorological Department also confirmed the cloudburst phenomenon that flooded Kalamassery on May 28. The Cusat radar station at Kalamassery recorded 103 mm of rain between 9:30 am and 10:30 am on the same day.

Even though Cusat earlier confirmed the sudden downpour to be the impetus of a rare cloudburst, the IMD restrained from reaching a conclusion. Finally, on Wednesday, IMD confirmed that 100 mm of rain was recorded in an hour in their rain gauge at Thrikkakara on May 28, which they termed a cloudburst.

Rainfall of more than 100 mm per hour in a given area can be considered as cloudburst. The cloudburst on May 28th was caused by a cyclone off the Tamil Nadu coast and steam from the Arabian Sea. On May 28th, Kalamassery witnessed 157 mm of rain in two years. Cloudbursts trigger 10 centimetres of rain per hour. A light cloudburst is when five centimetres of rain lash in two hours. It also occurs in the plains but is more likely in the highlands. A cloudburst lasts less than 15 minutes.