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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 long does loud thunder last?
Claps are loud sounds lasting 0.2 to 2 seconds and containing higher pitches. Peals are sounds changing in loudness and pitch. Rolls are irregular mixtures of loudness and pitches. Rumbles are less loud, last for longer (up to more than 30 seconds), and of low pitch.
Why does thunder sound like a bomb?
The sound originates at the lightning. The superheated air rapidly expands and then collapses back into itself, that rapid expansion and collapse is the source of the sound. If that happened at one spot, then all the sound would reach your ears at the same time and you would hear a single explosion.
Why was the thunder so loud and long?
Thunder varies as sound waves travel away from the bolt, resulting in a longer-lasting rumbling. Lightning cooks air so fast that the blast expands air to 48,632°F, resulting in an explosion in every direction. The compressed airwaves crack with a loud, booming burst of noise.
Why does thunder shake the 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 is the longest thunder Rumble ever?
On June 20, 2007, during a thunder storm in Oklahoma, a lighting bolt streaked across half the state. This is the longest lightning bolt ever recorded, stretching 199.5 miles from outside Tulsa to the Texas border, according to a press release.
How can thunder hurt you?
The electricity that does enters a person’s body can cause devastating neurological damage, including memory loss, chronic pain and seizures in addition to the relatively superficial burns on the outside of someone’s skin.
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.
Can thunder damage your house?
When you hear thunder, you know there is lightning. If lightning strikes your house, it might not catch fire, but it can damage the electrical components of your house which can start a fire. It can also damage roof shingles, chimneys, and more.
Can you go deaf from thunder?
Thunder in close proximity is capable of producing temporary deafness and may cause rupturing of the ear’s tympanic membrane that can lead to hearing damage or deafness. At very close range, thunder is capable of causing property damage.
Can thunder crack windows?
Glass is a good insulator, so it is very unlikely that a window pane would ever be struck directly. But a lightning strike on the roof of a house will travel down through the building through the most conductive route available. This could also shatter a window if it was close enough.
What state has the loudest thunder?
Florida. Florida leads as the most lightning-prone state in the country, as it experiences an average 25.3 lightning strikes for every square mile. The state witnesses an average of 1.45 million lightning strikes each year, the highest in the country.
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.
Should I unplug stuff during a storm?
Anything that’s plugged into an outlet in your home is at risk of suffering damage from an electrical surge during thunderstorms. If an electrical storm has been forecast, unplug your computer, laptop, and other devices, and consider unplugging appliances.
Is it safe to use the toilet during a thunderstorm?
No. Lightning can travel through plumbing. It is best to avoid all water during a lightning storm.
What happens if your car gets struck by lightning?
A typical cloud-to-ground, actually cloud-to-vehicle, lightning strike will either strike the antenna of the vehicle or along the roofline. A portion of the discharge may find its way into the vehicle’s electrical system and may damage or destroy electronic components, potentially leaving the car inoperable.
Why is thunder so loud at night?
Quick Facts: Thunderstorms seem louder a night because of a warm layer of air above the storm. The layer of air acts like a ceiling, keeping the sound closer to the ground. Remember that thunder is caused by lightning.
