Water droplets in the bottom part of the cloud are caught in the updrafts and lifted to great heights where the much colder atmosphere freezes them. Remember the phrase, “When thunder roars, go indoors.” Find a safe, enclosed shelter when you hear thunder. If you are outside, go inside an enclosed building. Yipes! This is because the speed at which Light travels in air is 299,792,458 meters per second. In a fraction of a second, lightning heats the air around it to incredible temperatures—as hot as 54,000 °F (30,000 °C). The temperature of the air in the lightning channel may reach as high as 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit, 5 times hotter than the surface of the sun. 2. 99 $12.69 $12.69. The extreme heat causes this air to expand quickly away from the lightning stroke, as shown by the red arrows on this figure. The study of thunder is known as brontology. Static charges are always "looking" for the first opportunity to "escape," or discharge. That is because light travels much faster than sound waves. Lightning can travel long distances. Polytheistic peoples of many cultures have postulated a thunder god, the personification or source of the forces of thunder and lightning; a lightning god does not have a typical depiction, and will vary based on the culture.In Indo-European cultures, the thunder god is frequently known as the chief or King of the Gods, e.g. It takes approximately 5 seconds for the sound to travel 1 mile. With no warning or dimming of lights, the Stanley Theatre suddenly shook with loud thunder and lightning. Plan your outdoor activities so that you can get to a safe place in case a thunderstorm develops. Thunder is the sound caused by a nearby flash of lightning and can be heard for a distance of only about 10 miles from the lightning strike. the lightning is seen and the thunder is heard. US Dept of Commerce The cenotaph-still silence was ruptured by the sonic boom of thunder… It's a little more complicated than that, but what results is a cloud with a negatively charged bottom and a positively charged top. Although a lightning discharge usually strikes just one spot on the ground, it travels many miles through the air. Although this phase of a lightning strike is too rapid for human eyes, this slow-motion video shows it happening. The temperature of the air in the lightning channel may reach as high as 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit, 5 times hotter than the surface of the sun. Lightning is a significant weather hazard and occurs at an average rate of 50 to 100 discharges per second worldwide. In turn, this expansion of air creates a sonic shock wave, often referred to as a "thunderclap" or "peal of thunder". The loud boom that you sometimes hear is created by the main lightning channel as it reaches the ground. Meanwhile, downdrafts in the cloud push ice and hail down from the top of the cloud. Seek shelter immediately even if caught out in the open If you are caught in an open area, act quickly to find adequate shelter. Smelling your scent, I … Never lie on the ground as that increase the chances for being struck by dangerous ground current. That's five times hotter than the surface of the Sun! Zap! Our Best Selling ProKnit Kit has a fresh look with our plated rainbow hook and clasp. Your contact with a metal doorknob—or car handle or anything that conducts electricity—presents that opportunity and the excess electrons jump at the chance. We can estimate the distance of the lightning by counting how many seconds it takes until we hear the thunder. National Weather Service But the lightning we usually care about most is the lightning that goes from clouds to ground—because that's us! We can estimate the distance of the lightning by counting how many seconds it takes until we hear the thunder. 10 Hours of Real Video of Rainstorm. About 50 people are killed and several hundred more are left to cope with permanent disabilities. The lightning discharge heats the air rapidly and causes it to expand. Often lightning occurs between clouds or inside a cloud. This rapid expansion and contraction creates the sound wave that we hear as thunder. $11.99 $ 11. These electrical fields become incredibly strong, with the atmosphere acting as an insulator between them in the cloud. Winds inside the cloud are very turbulent. 17 on the US Billboard Hot 100, No. This causes the air to expand rapidly and creates the sound wave we hear as thunder. When you listen to thunder, you'll first hear the thunder created by that portion of the lightning channel that is nearest you. See lightning strikes in real time across the planet. Verse Concepts. Thunder results from rapid heating and expansion of the air along the path of the lightning bolt. Here are some important rules to remember about lightning safety: First rule of lightning safety: No place outside is safe near a thunderstorm. Lightning rods and metallic conductors can be used to protect a structure by intercepting and diverting the lightning current into the ground as harmlessly as possible. Thunder is created when lightning passes through the air. Thunder, thunder, thunder Thun-thun-thunder, thunder Thunder, thunder, thunder Thun-thun-thunder, thunder Thunder, thunder, thunder Thun-thun-thunder, thunder Thunder, thunder, thunder Thun-thun-thunder, thunder. Not exactly, but there is a lot of shuffling going on inside the cloud. The roar of thunder is caused by the rapidly expanding atmosphere when a bolt of lightning … Thunder is created when lightning passes through the air. If you count the number of seconds between the flash of lightning and the sound of thunder, and then divide by 5, you'll get the distance in miles to the lightning: 5 seconds = 1 mile, 15 seconds = 3 miles, 0 seconds = very close. The channels connect and we see the lightning stroke. The sound of thunder should serve as a warning to anyone outside that they are within striking distance of the storm and need to get to a safe place immediately! When the rain came the sky was black, there was thunder and lightning and even a brief hail storm. Thunder is the sound produced during lightning. Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. If you can hear thunder, the storm is near enough to you to pose an immediate threat; after the thunder ends, wait 30 minutes before resuming outdoor activities, If thunder clouds are anywhere near, you should not be outside. Normally, you can hear thunder about 10 miles from a lightning strike. 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