Lightning and thunder: This is what happens

Lightning and thunder are messengers of a thunderstorm. It’s an amazing phenomenon, because this is when charge is visibly and audibly discharged. In a safe place, the weather spectacle is very fascinating

Lightning and thunder: here’s a thunderstorm

If there is lightning and thunder, it means that there is a thunderstorm near you. And this is how it comes about:

• lightning: This is an electrical discharge between clouds or between a cloud and the surface of the earth. During a thunderstorm, large amounts of charged particles move within and between clouds. When the voltage between the charged areas is high enough, the electrical energy discharges in the form of lightning. Lightning discharges can be very hot, reaching temperatures of up to 30,000 degrees Celsius. This is hotter than the surface of the sun.

• Thunder: This is the sound caused by lightning. Lightning and thunder occur almost simultaneously. But because light travels faster than sound, you see the lightning first and hear the thunder a few seconds later. The latter occurs when the lightning strongly heats and expands the surrounding air. This creates a shock wave, which you perceive as a sound wave.

• Heavy rain: Thunderstorms are often accompanied by heavy rain. The rising, warm air in a thundercloud leads to the formation of condensation nuclei and eventually raindrops. These drops then fall to the earth’s surface and can lead to heavy rain.

• Wind: Thunderstorms are often accompanied by strong gusts of wind. These are caused by the upward and downward flow of air in the thundercloud. Strong winds can lead to squalls, downbursts or even tornadoes, especially in severe thunderstorms.