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Understanding Thunderstorms: Formation, Lifecycles, and Lightning Dynamics

Thunderstorms develop in warm, moist air when a trigger forces rapid upward motion, forming towering cumulonimbus clouds. The life cycle includes the cumulus stage (initial formation), mature stage (heavy precipitation and downdrafts), and dissipating stage (weakening updraft). Lightning, a powerful discharge of electricity, can reach 30,000°C and travels at 60,000 m/s. Thunder results from the shockwave of heated air. Types of thunderstorms vary from single cell to multicell clusters, and supercells can spawn tornadoes. Understanding these dynamics is vital for safety and preparedness.

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Understanding Thunderstorms: Formation, Lifecycles, and Lightning Dynamics

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  1. SEVERE WEATHER Thunderstorms and Lightning

  2. Thunderstorms • Form in warm, moist, unstable air when a “trigger” such as a mountain or cold front forces the air to rise quickly. • Storm clouds may be up to 20 km high in the atmosphere.

  3. Life Cycle of a Thunderstorm • Cumulus Stage – Air rises and a cumulonimbus cloud forms. The rising air is an updraft. The updraft prevents precipitation from reaching the ground. • Mature Stage – the precipitation becomes heavy enough to fall through the updraft and reach the ground. The falling precipitation creates a downdraft.

  4. Life Cycle of a Thunderstorm • Dissipating Stage – the downdraft weakens the updraft, cutting off the supply of moist air rising in the cloud. The cloud begins to evaporate.

  5. Lightning • Lightning is a discharge of electricity • Typically occurs during thunderstorms • In the atmospheric electrical discharge, a bolt of lightning can travel at speeds of 60,000 m/s (220,000 km/h), and can reach temperatures of 30,000 °C (54,000 °F). This is hot enough to fuse sand into glass • There are some 16 million lightning storms in the world every year

  6. Lightning • The top of the cloud becomes (+) charged and the bottom (–) charged from friction and other processes. • This charge is then discharged as lightning

  7. Lightning • Discharge of electricity. • The temperature may reach 50,000oF. (5X hotter than the sun’s surface) • Thunder is produced by the shock wave sent out due to the heated air expanding so violently.

  8. Hail Formation • Hail is produced during some thunderstorms under these conditions: • Condensation nuclei is available (dust) • Super cooled (<0oC) water droplets are carried through the updrafts and downdrafts of a cumulonimbus cloud.

  9. Types of Thunderstorms • Single Cell: A single thunderstorm with one main updraft • Rarely severe • Result from local unstable atmosphere • Typical summer thunderstorm

  10. Types of Thunderstorms • Multicell cluster: • Formed from a cluster of storms • Each cell is it’s own separate updraft • Can develop into squall lines • Squall Line (Multicell line): • Form when multicell clusters from a line • Can be hundreds of miles long

  11. Largest and most severe thunderstorm that can last for hours • Have a mesocyclone, a rotating updraft • Produce large amount of rain, hail, and strong winds • About 30% produce tornadoes Supercells

  12. Most supercells and tornadoes rotate counter-colockwise in the Northern Hemisphere

  13. Supercell Video

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