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Thunder is created when lightning passes through the air. The lightning discharge heats the air rapidly and causes it to expand. 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.
What causes lightning without thunder?
No, it is not possible to have thunder without lightning. However, it is possible that you might see lightning and not hear the thunder because it was too far away. Sometimes this is called “heat lightning” because it occurs most often in the summer. Is lightning always produced by a thunderstorm?.
Is lightning stronger than thunder?
Both occur at the same time during a thunderstorm, but since light travels faster than sound, lightning is seen first before one can hear the sound of thunder. Lightning is fast and very hot while thunder can usher in heavy rain and strong winds, but lightning is more dangerous and destructive than thunder.
Can I poop during a thunderstorm?
DO NOT POOP During A Thunderstorm. The plumbing company said this is just as rare as getting struck by lightning yourself. Do not shower, bathe, wash dishes, or wash your hands.
Why is there lightning but no rain?
Dry thunderstorm refers to thunder and lightning that occur without bringing rain to the ground. In fact, the thunder-bearing clouds do produce rain but the rain droplets have evaporated in the air before reaching the ground. The anvil cloud is so high that rain coming from it evaporates before reaching the ground.
Why is thunder so loud?
A big noise Why is thunder so loud? It’s because the amount of electrical energy that flows from the cloud to the ground is so enormous: it’s like a very big waterfall of electricity. The louder the sound that you hear, the closer you are to the lightning. Light travels through air much faster than sound.
How hot is a lightning bolt?
A return stroke of lightning, that is, a bolt shooting up from the ground to a cloud (after a stream of electricity came downward from a cloud) can peak at 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit (F). The surface of the sun is around 11,000 degrees F.
Why do trees get hit by lightning?
WHY LIGHTNING STRIKES TREES They’re especially prone to lightning strikes because electricity seeks the path of least resistance, and the sap and moisture inside a tree make it a better conductor than the surrounding air.
Do cell phones attract lightning?
“Cell phones, small metal items, jewelry, etc., do not attract lightning. Lightning tends to strike taller objects,” said John Jensenius, a NOAA National Weather Service lightning expert. “People are struck because they are in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Can I charge my phone during a thunderstorm?
It is said that you shouldn’t use electricity during a thunderstorm but charging a phone is totally safe. Just plug your phone but don’t use it while it is charging because that could be dangerous.
Can cars get struck by lightning?
NO! Like trees, houses, and people, anything outside is at risk of being struck by lightning when thunderstorms are in the area, including cars. The lightning will then pass through the vehicle’s outer metal shell, then through the tires to the ground.
Where does lightning strike the most?
The most lightning-struck location in the world Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela is the place on Earth that receives the most lightning strikes. Massive thunderstorms occur on 140-160 nights per year with an average of 28 lightning strikes per minute lasting up to 10 hours at a time.
Does lightning cause fire?
Lightning-Caused Fires: Lightning must interact with other environmental conditions before fires can result. Ignition depends upon sufficient heat production from the lightning, weather, and fuel conditions to ignite combustible materials.
Can thunder happen without clouds?
Very, very rarely. And, the lightning must originate from a cloud. These are called “bolts from the blue” because they shoot out from the side of a thunderstorm into a cloudless area. Originally Answered: How can lightning form from a cloudless sky?.
Why does thunder shake your house?
Why does the house shake when there is a thunder storm? Your house will shake depending the closeness of the lightning. Thunder is a sonic boom that comes from the rapid heating of the air around a lightning strike. Sonic booms cause massive shaking to nearby objects (your house).
What was the loudest thunder ever recorded?
The explosion was loud enough that this level of noise was recorded many miles away from the site of the blast. A sound of 174 decibels was recorded by barometers 100 miles from Krakatoa. That meant anyone within an 100 mile radius of Krakatoa had a chance of being literally deafened by this sound.
Why is thunder so loud in Florida?
Florida’s peninsula is surrounded by water that is relatively cooler than the afternoon temperatures over land. As temperatures heat up each afternoon, there is a lot of energy for thunderstorms to use up, grow tall and produce excessive lightning. Florida is not the only place with sea-breeze thunderstorms.
Is lightning always white?
Lightning comes in every color of the rainbow (Red, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue, and Violet, to name a few). It’s almost always white, but often it’s tinged with another color around the edges.
What’s hotter lava or lightning?
Lightning is way hotter. Lightning is up to 70000 degrees fahrenheit but lava is just 2240 degrees fahrenheit. Simply it is Lava, because it is having highest temperature where as lightning accumulate huge charge which causes burning. Lava has 1200 degree Centigrade.
Are planes struck by lightning?
Planes all over the world get struck by lightning almost daily. An airplane in commercial service is hit by heavenly jolts of energy on average once per year. These include how many take-offs and landings the aircraft performs, as lightning activity is more prevalent between 5,000 and 15,000 feet.
