The National Weather Service defines a thunderstorm as the 'presence

of thunder andlightning within and around rainclouds, that generate electrical charges'. Among all
the observed cloud formations, the cumulonimbus is a perfect thunder factory. Hence, its
nickname as 'thunderhead'. A storm involves the presence of strong winds, with or without
precipitation. In a thunderstorm the winds gusts are measured at 58 mph or more.

What causes Thunderstorms?

Thunderstorms are the result of warm, moist air within a raincloud, rising in large volumes and
increased velocity. The velocity and volume or air motion within the cloud becomes unstable,
reacting to the similar atmosphere around the natural suspension of moisture. The outside
temperature falls rapidly in comparison to that within the storm cloud, resulting in a warmer
updraft outside. This makes the storm cloud more buoyant. As the water vapor converts into
liquid and liquid into hail, the updraft is stoked, causing turbulence within. This trigger force
causes the cumulonimbus to erupt violently, unleashing the electrical activity within and
precipitation.

Types of Thunderstorms:

Thunderstorms are usually accompanied by hail, lightning, flash floods and tornadoes. The
energy released by the more than 20,000 feet high thunderstorm clouds is very impressive. The
clouds are known to grow till they actually reach the troposphere. This phenomenon is referred to
as 'tropopause'. Thunderstorms called 'trop busters' are unusually intense, releasing internal
updrafts at more than 100 mph. Radar records reveal echoes that exceed 70,000 feet! The birth
of a thunderstorm involves a number of atmospheric processes that characterize them by form.
The air mass thunderstorm is usually short lived and characterized by moist high-pressure
exertion. Sea breeze thunderstorms are cold, frontal manifestations, while the squall lines
comprise a series of storms. The other thunderstorm types include the mesoscale convective
complex that can last for up to more than twelve hours and supercells, which produce tornadoes
and hail storms.

Thunderstorm Effects:

Thunderstorm updrafts and downdrafts result in heavy precipitation. Wind gusts pick up hurricane
force, accompanied by thunder and lightning. Thunderstorms disrupt human life in more than one
way. The felling of millions of trees, deaths due to lightning hazard and wind shear are just some
of the dissipation manifestations. Thunderstorms commonly result in local atmospheric instability,
catastrophic flooding, very strong winds, tornadoes and multi-cell storms. These storms have a
pronounced effect on the weather over a large area, with energy released at the rate of more than
10,000,000 kilowatts! Thunderstorms occur in varied force, throughout the world. While they are a
common occurrence in the tropical rainforest regions, the polar regions are not spared either.
Thunderstorms are commonly associated with the onset of the monsoons. The electrical
discharge referred to as lightning is responsible for striking terrestrial structures at the speed of
sound. This poses a great threat to human life and property.