What is a thunderstorm and can it thunder without rain?
What causes thunder?
Thunderstorms can occur at any time of year but our most severe usually come in the summer months when we have longer days with more sunshine, which creates more energy in our atmosphere. Inside these thunderstorms, warm, moist air moves up and down quickly, the up-draughts force the air above the freezing level, so the water droplets in the air turn to ice or hail.So inside these thunderclouds there is a mixture of ice and water, which rub against each other transferring electric charges. This leads to a build up of electrical charge and when that gets large enough, it is released as a bolt of lightning. When lightning happens, it can heat the air to as hot as around 30,000°C. The air heats up so quickly that it suddenly expands creating a shock wave, a huge vibration in the air, that we hear as thunder.
Can it thunder without rain?
It is possible to hear thunder and not see rain. This is sometimes called a "dry thunderstorm."In a dry thunderstorm, the rain evaporates before it reaches the ground because the air underneath the cloud is very hot or dry. These thunderstorms are notorious for sparking wildfires because no rain is wetting the vegetation below them.
Can you get thunder without lightning?
No, thunder is the sound produced by lightning, so it cannot exist without it.When lightning strikes, it heats the air to around 30,000C which incredibly is hotter than the surface of the sun. Sudden heating of the air causes it to expand so rapidly it creates the loud bang of a thunderclap.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
25 minutes ago
- BBC News
Warning after two teens rescued from rocky ledge
Two teenagers were rescued after becoming trapped on a rocky ledge with a fast-approaching tide. Rescuers abseiled down a cliff to reach the boys, who were stuck at Greenaway Beach in Polzeath, Cornwall, as waves swept in at about 18:10 BST on 26 Coastguard's has now issued a warning to other swimmers after the incident. Senior Coastal Operations Officer Robin Snuggs said: "It goes to show how easy it is to be caught out by the tide, particularly if you're visiting a place you don't know well and you're by the cliffs. Tides can come in at different levels on different days." Luckily, a member of the public dialled 999 when they spotted the teenagers on the had to "battle large breaking waves and unsteady cliff face as they recovered the boys one by one", according to HM Coastguard Padstow's Instagram Snuggs advised people to check tide times and stay aware of the state of the water. He added that people should be careful around cliffs and carry a mobile phone.
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Rare cloud formation spotted during Storm Floris
A rare and striking cloud formation has been photographed over is a thick, wave-like pattern which was only added to official lists in recent Webster, a keen photographer of natural phenomena, captured the spectacle over Long Eaton as Storm Floris swept across the UK on said: "It was super eye-catching. It was just something I had never seen before." Mr Webster added: "I am an astronomer and I keep an eye on what is going on up there."I like nature at its most extreme. I like going out to see the volcanoes in Iceland, or when there is a thunderstorm, I'll do my best to safely witness that."My motivation lies in the awesome, almost incomprehensible power of nature."Humans, no matter how hard we try, could never compare to the power that made those clouds." Meteorologist Kaye Forster said: "Asperitas clouds are fairly rare and newly recognised clouds. "They were officially named by the World Meteorological Organisation in 2017 and are spotted in the UK only a few times a year."It is not fully understood how these clouds are formed but like any 'wave-like' clouds they take their shape by vertical, up-and-down motions in the atmosphere, such as gravity waves. "They need an unstable atmosphere where the air can rise and fall quickly, allowing rapid change. "So it is no wonder that these clouds were formed around Storm Floris on Monday, when the atmosphere was very volatile."
The Independent
7 hours ago
- The Independent
Dramatic weather change in store as Storm Floris passes
The UK is forecast to experience hot spells and above-average temperatures from around 19 August until early September. This warmer outlook follows Storm Floris, the sixth named storm of the season, which caused widespread disruption across the country. The storm left tens of thousands of households, particularly in northern Scotland, without electricity. Winds exceeding 100mph were recorded during Storm Floris, including a 134mph gust on Cairngorm. The storm also severely disrupted rail and ferry services across the country, with numerous tree-related incidents affecting train lines.
