Study of Extreme precipitation over Uttarakhand region, 2013

A natural disaster with torrential downpour and subsequent flash flood led to worst disaster on 16-17 June 2013 devastating Kedarnath region in Uttarakhand. This region is geomorphologically vulnerable and tectonically active, making the region fragile and prone to disasters. Anthropogenic activities causing changes in land use, land cover, drainage, unplanned construction, unregulated tourism etc. contributed towards enhancing the impacts of this disaster. Continuous precipitation from few days before 16 June 2013 accumulated, but sudden increase in precipitation during 16-17 June 2013 corresponded to massive flooding of rivers. Loss of life, destruction to infrastructure, property and unestimated devastation to the ecology of the region made the disaster to consider as one of the worst disaster that India had faced after Dec 2004 Tsunami. The event was associated with high intensity precipitation causing a flash flood which led to associated debris flow, sediment deposition, blockade, melting of glacier and several landslides. Most of the studies regarding the disaster are based on geomorphological and hydrological aspects but the present study is focused on the meteorological aspect.