cloudburst

[kloud-burst]

noun

1. a sudden and very heavy rainfall.

cloudburst

/ ˈklaʊdˌbɜːst /

noun

1. a heavy downpour

Word History and Origins

Origin of cloudburst¹

An Americanism dating back to 1810–20; cloud + burst

Example Sentences

He might have been among the few people pleased with the cloudburst at the Italian event.

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A cloudburst had caused a flash flood early in the morning, a local official said.

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Experts say this is increasingly happening in the mountainous regions where massive moisture-laden clouds hit the hills, pouring huge amounts of rain very quickly in a small area - a phenomenon that is known as cloudburst.

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Extreme weather events such as cloudbursts are hard to predict in advance.

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Uttarakhand's chief minister and other officials initially said the flash floods were caused by a cloudburst, but India's weather department has not confirmed this.

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