What are the effects of cloud burst on flora and fauna?

A cloudburst is a localized weather phenomenon characterized by extreme amounts of precipitation over a short period of time within a small geographical area. A cloudburst is sometimes accompanied by hail and thunderstorms which are capable of creating disastrous flood conditions. Meteorologists state that rainfall from cloudbursts is usually showered with a fall rate greater than or equal to 4.9 inches per hour. Cloudbursts generally occur in mountainous regions, deserts, and interior regions of continental landmasses. They are highly unpredictable by nature and happen very abruptly. Nearly all recorded cloudburst are experienced in the Indian subcontinent where monsoon clouds drift from the Arabian Sea onto the Himalayas.

The catastrophic nature of cloudbursts differs based on terrain.

• In the mountains, large volumes of water gain momentum as it flows in gushes, destroying structures, trees, animals and people, and as gravity increases in the gullies, it results in landslides and mudslides.

• In deserts and plains, cloudbursts cause waterlogging and flash floods. In most cases, cloudbursts are accompanied by lightning, thunder, strong gusts of wind and hail storms.

• In extreme circumstances, flooding associated with cloudbursts can shut down an entire city as people struggle to cope with the influx of water.