Which meteorological phenomenon triggers sudden localized cloudbursts and flash floods in the steep narrow valleys of Sikkim during the pre-monsoon and monsoon months?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Orographic lifting forces warm, moisture-laden air masses rapidly upward against towering Himalayan ridges, causing adiabatic cooling, massive condensation, and concentrated torrential downpours in narrow valleys. Anticyclonic subsidence creates stable, dry conditions rather than storms, while western disturbances primarily bring winter precipitation to the western Himalayas. These localized cloudbursts often trigger catastrophic flash floods and debris flows along the Teesta and Rangeet river basins.