Kerala rains 2026: researchers call for redrawing disaster management strategy amidst increasing extreme rainfall events
Researchers at the Cochin University of Science and Technology are calling for a shift in Kerala's disaster management strategy. They argue that the state is becoming a hotspot for mesoscale mini cloudbursts, requiring more localized and participatory warning systems.
Why it matters
Highlights the urgent need for climate-resilient infrastructure and policy in regions increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather events.
Researchers at the Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research (ACARR) in the Cochin University of Science and Technology have recommended a fundamental shift in Kerala’s disaster management strategy with extreme rainfall events becoming a more frequent feature of the State’s climate scenario.
They point out that Kerala is emerging as a hotspot for mesoscale mini cloudbursts due to changing rainfall patterns and cloud structures. Mesoscale cloudbursts are extreme, highly localised downpour, mostly exceeding 100 mm in an hour, falling over a scale spanning tens to hundreds of square kilometers.
“Driven by strong convection and orographic lifting, these short-duration extreme events generate rapid runoff and flash floods. Land degradation and deforestation further aggravate impacts, making the State a hotspot for mesoscale mini cloudburst-induced disasters,” said S. Abhilash, Director of ACARR.
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