Storms | Shocking sights, loud noises
Shocking sights, loud noises
To be called a thunderstorm there must be thunder. Thunder is caused by lightning, and lightning begins in the cumulonimbus clouds. Lightning is an intense discharge of electricity. Scientists estimate that about a hundred lightning flashes occur each second around the world. The electricity flowing within a lightning bolt is so powerful that it can kill instantly, split trees, and spark fires. The average flash of lightning could turn on a 100-watt light bulb for more than three months.
As a storm advances, strong winds blow the particles of dust and water in the cloud and cause them to hit each other. Each particle
contains positive and negative charges, which are attracted to each other under normal conditions, but collisions cause the positive and negative charges to separate. Positive charges tend to move towards the top of a cloud and negative charges move towards the...
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