Thunderstorms usually happen on a hot, summer’s day when the air is warm and sticky. Watch out for huge, dark, tall thunderclouds gathering in the sky. They’re a sure sign a storm’s brewing. Time to head indoors!
What makes thunder rumble?
Lightning is incredibly hot, about five times hotter than the Sun’s surface. As it streaks through the sky, it heats the air so quickly that it makes a loud booming sound. This is the sound of thunder.
Where do thunderstorms begin?
Thunder starts in cumulonimbus clouds. They turn the sky purply black and blue. Some of these clouds are massive. The tallest can grow 18 kilometres high. That’s more than twice the height of Mt Everest.
Is it true? Lightning happens before thunder.
No. They happen at exactly the same time. But you see lightning before you hear thunder because light travels more quickly than sound.
Amazing! The Vikings believed that thunder was caused by the bad-tempered god, Thor, hurling his hammer across the sky.
Picture Credit : Google