Definition
A sudden, extremely heavy rain shower, typically associated with a thunderstorm, that releases a large volume of water over a small area in a very short time.
Plain English
A short burst of very heavy rain that dumps a lot of water in just a few minutes, usually from a thunderstorm.
Context Anchor
Pilots may encounter this word in weather reports, radio calls, or pilot descriptions of intense rain near an airport or along a route.
Derivation
From 'cloud' plus 'burst,' meaning the cloud appears to break open and release its water all at once. The name captures how it feels on the ground — as if the cloud has split apart.
Why Pilots Care
Cloudbursts can suddenly cut visibility to near zero, flood runways, create wind shear, and make landing or takeoff hazardous.
Grounding Statement
A cloudburst is not just rain; it is rain arriving so heavily and suddenly that conditions can change within moments.
Intuition Check
Do not read “cloudburst” as a cloud physically bursting. In aviation weather use, it means sudden, unusually heavy rain over a limited area.
Example Sentence 1
The pilot delayed departure after a cloudburst dropped over an inch of rain on the field in less than ten minutes.
Example Sentence 2
After the cloudburst passed, standing water on the runway delayed the next takeoff.