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| This graphic shows how the tempature of the air and the compression changes what we hear in storms |
The roar of thunder is not caused by the lightning bolt itself like most people think. The grumbling we hear during thunderstorms is really just a rapid expansion of the air around the lightning bolt that just struck some seconds before. As the lightning hits the ground individually, some even hit in pairs, the greatly heated bolt of lightning returns to the clouds at 27,000 degrees Celsius in very little time giving the air that surrounds it little to no time to expand. The compressed air explodes outward from the channel, forming a shock wave of compressed particles in every direction. This leaves the compressed waves to send out a powerful booming noise we know as thunders great roar. When we hear this great sound we know that another bolt of lightning is only a few miles behind. Although highly rare, we realize that thunder’s great scream can also be heard in some snowstorms. In snow clouds, ice particles rub together to create positive and negative separation.
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| Lightning often can occur with forming or severe tornadoes. |
