Monsoon Fury: Cloudburst in Dehradun

Today’s Cloudburst in Dehradun

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, a fierce cloudburst struck the Dehradun district, causing destruction and flooding. The deluge, which began late Monday night, led to the overflow of the Kaligaad rivulet and the Tamsa River in the Sahastradhara area, where two people have been reported missing.

The impact of the cloudburst

The Tapkeshwar Mahadev Temple, a prominent local shrine, was significantly impacted. Its courtyard was completely submerged, and floodwaters entered the cave housing the temple, though the inner sanctum remains safe.

The torrential rains wreaked havoc on local infrastructure. A crucial bridge on the Dehradun-Haridwar Highway near Fun Valley and Uttarakhand Dental College was severely damaged, and approach roads, including one at Maldevta, were either washed away or blocked by debris.

The destruction extended to local businesses, with numerous shops, hotels, and small commercial structures in Sahastradhara and surrounding areas heavily damaged or completely washed away. The resulting road closures and wash-outs have brought traffic to a standstill in many parts of the district.

Red Alert!

In response to the escalating situation, authorities have ordered the closure of all schools (Classes 1 to 12) and Anganwadi centers in the affected areas. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Dehradun and adjacent districts, warning of the potential for heavy to very heavy rain, thunderstorms, and even more intense rainfall in the coming hours.

A Growing Trend: Cloudbursts in North India

According to reports the Dehradun cloudburst is not an isolated incident. The monsoon season of 2025 has seen a concerning number of similar events across North India.

These incidents, though localized, have collectively caused significant destruction, casualties, and repeated rescue efforts across Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir.

Why is the Himalayas Prone to Cloudbursts?

According to reports the unique geography of the Himalayas makes the region particularly vulnerable to cloudbursts and the flash floods they trigger. Rainwater has no room to spread out, so it rushes down steep gorges and streams, creating destructive torrents. Small shifts in weather systems can trap moisture in a single valley, leading to extreme rainfall in a concentrated area. The situation often worsens when cloudbursts coincide with melting ice or landslides.

A cloudburst occurs when saturated monsoon air forced to rise rapidly over the mountains. Becoming unstable and dumping rain at an extreme intensity over a small area. This phenomenon, combined with the region’s steep terrain and the increased moisture in the atmosphere. Which is due to climate change, makes North India exceptionally susceptible.

A Rising Threat

Evidence suggests that the frequency and impact of cloudbursts are increasing. A scientific study focusing on the Uttarakhand Himalaya found that the number of major cloudburst incidents rose from 13 in the May-September 2020 period to 17 in the same period in 2021. Experts in Uttarakhand also note that these events are happening earlier and more frequently in the monsoon season than in previous years.

State disaster data and geologists in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu & Kashmir all observed “more erratic rainfall” and an “increase in intensity of short duration rainfall events,” directly associated with cloudbursts.

Since 2018, Himachal Pradesh has recorded 148 cloudburst incidents, averaging 25-30 per year, with recent years showing particularly high counts. Similarly, Uttarakhand has experienced more frequent “extreme weather days” in recent monsoons, with more detailed events reported in 2025 than in earlier years like 2017.