Thunderstorms: Causes, Types and Safety Measures Explained for Kids

Thunderstorms are short-lived natural phenomena accompanied by heavy rain, lightning and thunder. Everyday there are around thousands of thunderstorms happening world-wide. They are caused by massive towering clouds called cumulonimbus clouds that can grow from 600-1500 meters in height. These clouds are the reason behind the heavy rainfall, gusty winds, hail, lighting and occasionally even tornadoes. Thunderstorms are not only fascinating but also dangerous and knowing in detail about them is important. Let’s learn in detail how these thunderstorms are formed and what impact they have on the environment.

What is a Thunderstorm

A thunderstorm is a weather disturbance that usually happens when the warm, moist air moves upward in the atmosphere to a cooler region. This uplift of warm air occurs due the difference in the density between warm and cold air. The higher the warm air rises, the taller the strom cloud becomes. This massive towering cloud is called a cumulonimbus cloud. This cloud is also known as the King of Clouds due to its massive size. An average cumulonimbus cloud has a width of 2.5 km and height around 200 meters and can hold up to 500 million liters of water that equals to the weight of 300 mid size cars. They are responsible for severe weather conditions like heavy rains, hail, lightning and sometimes tornados during thunderstorms.

How are Thunderstorms Formed

The formation of a thunderstorm happens due to an updraft which is an upward lift of warm less dense air in the atmosphere. The major reason behind the upward lift is the atmospheric instability, extreme moisture and a trigger mechanism to push air upwards. Once all these are present together they create this unique natural phenomenon called thunderstorm or electric storm. 

There are three different stages of a thunderstorm: the Cumulus or development stage, the mature or peak stage and the disappearing stage. In the first stage, the cumulus cloud is formed due to an upward draft. There is little to no rain during this stage. When the thunderstorm enters the mature stage, the precipitation starts to happen creating a downdraft. In this stage both updraft and downdraft coexist resulting in strong rains and gusty winds. In the last stage the updraft finally stops and the cloud starts to disappear. The effect of each of these stages of a thunderstorm may vary depending on the type of thunderstorm. Further we will learn to classify different types of thunderstorms.

Types of Thunderstorms

I. A single-cell thunderstorm is the most common kind of thunderstorm which is also known as an ordinary or air mass thunderstorm. It can last up to 30 minutes and can result in lightning and short-lived torrential rain despite their small duration.

II. A multi-cell cluster thunderstorm is a collection of cells in various stages of development that form multi-cell storms. These storms can be a significant contributor for moderate tornadoes, hails, flash floods, that can happen to continue for several hours.

III. A squall line is a very fast type of thunder storm that comes in a long, straight line. This type of storm often brings dangerous winds and occasionally tornadoes that can cover wide areas of around a hundred kilometres.

IV. A supercell thunderstorm is a dangerous storm characterized by a deep, rotational updraft called a mesocyclone. These types of storms are responsible for producing the most violent tornadoes, huge size hailstones, and heavy wind gusts. They can go on for hours together and can travel hundreds for kilometres, causing a big threat to life.

Effects of a Thunderstorm

a). Aviation Hazards: Thunderstorms pose a big threat for aviation. The flight turbulence due to bad weather conditions in thunderstorms can be highly stressful. Such bad weather can lead to failure in controlling systems and accidents.

b). Natural Disasters: Flash floods, tornados, lightning and hurricanes are some of the natural disasters accompanied with thunderstorms that pose a threat to life.

c). Damage to Infrastructure: Floods, lightning and hail storms can destroy roads, buildings, communication networks, power lines, etc causing power outages, traffic delays and damage to vehicles.

d). Environmental Impact: Flooding due to heavy rains can cause soil erosion and land slides causing harm to agricultural as well as residential lands.

Safety Measures 

1. It is advised to stay indoors during bad weather conditions. If you’re outside, find a safe shelter during a thunderstorm.
2. Avoid taking shelter under a tree during a thunderstorm as the lightning can stuck trees. 
3. Switch-off all the electric appliances as lightning can damage electronics causing fire or shocks.
4. If you’re driving, park at a safe place and avoid contact with metal objects or metal surfaces.
5. Stay away from anything that can conduct electricity. 

Although meteorologists and various government agencies predict the occurrence of thunderstorms to minimize its impact we must have awareness to protect ourselves in such situations.

Fun Fact Lightning and thunder are the first two main characteristics of a thunderstorm. As light travels faster than the sound (300,000 km/s), the flash is always seen before the clap of thunder. Although these both events happen at the same time we experience them at a time gap.