Why does the IMD state that it cannot conclusively confirm whether the event was a cloudburst?
Because there are no weather radars at such high altitudes, making real-time intensity measurement impossible
Because cloudbursts require geological surveys, not meteorological data
Because rainfall events above 20 cm are automatically classified as landslides rather than cloudbursts
Because only satellite data can detect cloudbursts, and satellites were not operational at that time
Answer and explanation
A cloudburst requires confirmation of rainfall exceeding 10 cm per hour in a localised area. Since weather radars cannot operate effectively at high elevations, the IMD lacks real-time hourly rainfall intensity data for such locations. Without this data, it is meteorologically impossible to conclusively confirm a cloudburst, even if total rainfall figures were high.