spates
Rushes of many
Spates is the plural of spate, a sudden rush or outpouring.
A spate of something is a flurry of occurrences in quick succession: a spate of burglaries, a spate of resignations.
In British usage, a river in spate is swollen with floodwater.
The word almost always appears with "of" and suggests something unwelcome or overwhelming.
deluge
Severe overflow of water
- inundationOverwhelming surge of water
- overflowExceed capacity and spill
- flashfloodSudden, violent water overflow
monsoon · watershed · swamp · drainage · runoff · backwater · dike · levee · submerge · erosion
outburst
Sudden emotional release
eruption · explosion · upsurge · escalation · upswing · spike · jump · swell · boom · increase
temporal pattern
spateslulls
Temporary periods of stillness
pauses · droughts · dry spells · hiatuses · intermissions