Thunderstorm

A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and thunder. Thunderstorms occur in cumulonimbus clouds and are usually accompanied by strong winds, heavy rain, and sometimes snow, sleet, or hail, though some produce little or no precipitation. They can line up as squall lines or develop into severe forms such as supercells, which rotate like cyclones and produce dangerous phenomena including large hail, strong winds, and tornadoes.

These storms form from the rapid upward movement of warm, moist air, often along a front, though a lifting mechanism such as a shortwave trough is needed to accelerate the air. As the air rises, it cools and condenses into a cumulonimbus cloud that can reach great heights. When the rising air reaches its dew point, water vapor condenses into droplets or ice, lowering pressure locally within the cell. Precipitation falls through the cloud, colliding and growing larger, while the falling droplets create a downdraft that pulls cold air downward. This cold air spreads out at the surface, sometimes producing strong winds. Thunderstorms can develop anywhere but are most frequent in mid-latitudes, where warm, tropical air meets cooler polar air. Damage from thunderstorms primarily comes from downburst winds, large hail, and flash flooding from heavy rain. Stronger cells can produce tornadoes and waterspouts. There are three types: single-cell, multi-cell, and supercell, with supercells being the strongest. Mesoscale convective systems in the tropics and subtropics can contribute to hurricane development. Dry thunderstorms, which produce no precipitation, can ignite wildfires from cloud-to-ground lightning. Thunderstorms are studied using weather radar, stations, and video, and have been observed on Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and possibly Venus. All thunderstorms go through three stages: developing, mature, and dissipation, each averaging about 30 minutes. In the developing stage, moisture is lifted by solar heating, converging winds, or terrain, forming towering cumulus clouds as latent heat release fuels further ascent. In the mature stage, the rising air reaches a warmer layer, often the tropopause, and spreads into an anvil shape, forming a cumulonimbus incus cloud as water droplets coalesce and freeze.