Thunderstorm is a storm that produces lightning and thunder and sometimes hail, violent winds, and tornadoes. Some thunderstorms bring locally heavy rain and flash flooding. Thunderstorms normally range in width from about 5 to 40 miles (8 to 64 kilometers). They can reach altitudes of more than 10 miles (16 kilometers).
A thunderstorm forms when warm, moist air rises from near Earth’s surface. As the air rises, it cools. Cool air can hold less water, causing the excess moisture to condense into clouds and eventually fall as precipitation. Inside the storm, clouds develop a build-up of electric charge, probably from collisions among ice and water particles. This static electricity is discharged as lightning. The chance and intensity of a thunderstorm increases with the difference in temperature between the surface air and the upper atmosphere.
Each thunderstorm consists of one or more cells (distinct storm centers). Single-cell storms include air mass thunderstorms, typically weak thunderstorms that produce little destructive weather. Another type of single-cell storm, called a supercell, ranks as the most destructive type of thunderstorm. Supercell thunderstorms produce large hail, strong winds, and extremely violent tornadoes. Multicell formations include multicell cluster thunderstorms, the most common type of thunderstorm. These storms consist of multiple cells that move together as a single unit. In some cases, individual storms can form a long line. These squall line thunderstorms typically bring heavy rain and strong winds and occasionally produce hail and tornadoes.
Loading the player...
Antimatter created in thunderstorms
