Thunderstorms and storm clouds

A thunderstorm is an atmospheric phenomenon characterized by strong wind, lightning, thunder and heavy rain. A thunderstorm is usually associated with a warm air front that causes water vapor condensation and the formation of thunderclouds.
Thunderstorms can be very diverse in intensity and duration. They are accompanied by strong gusty winds, heavy rain, lightning, thunder, sometimes hail and even a tornado.
Meteorologists constantly observe thunderstorms and analyze data about them in order to improve their future forecasts and to signal possible emergencies in time. A thunderstorm is an unpredictable phenomenon, but thanks to modern technology and equipment, special services are able to determine the time and place of its occurrence as accurately as possible.

• Gusty winds - characterized by sudden and sharp increases in strength. It can manifest itself as short but strong gusts, often accompanied by changes in speed and direction, sometimes leading to potentially dangerous consequences.

• Rain is precipitation falling from clouds in the form of water droplets. Rain drops can vary in diameter from 0,5 to 7 mm. During a thunderstorm, rain can be heavy and prolonged.

• Lightning is an electrical discharge that occurs between thunderclouds and the ground. It is accompanied by a bright flash and a loud sound.

• Thunder is a sound wave produced by the heating of the airspace as lightning passes.

• Hail is a type of heavy precipitation in the form of dense ice particles of mostly rounded shape, 5 to 50 mm in diameter, called hailstones.

The process of thunderstorm formation begins with the Sun heating the Earth's surface, which leads to evaporation of moisture. Moist air rises and begins to condense, forming clouds. Within them there is an intense movement of air, which creates conditions for electrical discharges. When the potential difference between the clouds themselves or between the cloud and the ground becomes large enough, an electric discharge - lightning - occurs. Thunder occurs because of the rapid expansion of the air heated by the lightning. Then a strong wind rises and it starts to rain.

• Air humidity.
High water vapor content in the atmosphere is a necessary condition for the formation of thunderstorms. Moist air cools as it rises, which leads to condensation of water vapor and the formation of clouds. The more moisture in the air, the more likely thunderstorm clouds are to form.

• The energy of instability.
The formation of a thunderstorm requires sufficient instability energy in the troposphere. This energy arises from temperature differences between atmospheric layers and contributes to the development of powerful convective flows.

• Upward air currents.
Vertically directed upward air currents are required to form a thunderstorm cloud.
These flows can occur for several reasons:
- solar heat warms the Earth's surface, causing warm air to rise;
- collision of rising warm air and atmospheric cold air, when the former tends to rise higher - above the cold air;
- moist warm air rising up the mountainsides.

• Geographic factors.
In tropical regions, where temperatures and humidity are high, thunderstorms occur more frequently and can be very intense. In temperate latitudes, thunderstorms occur during the summer months when temperatures rise.

Thunderstorm clouds are a specific type of cloud that form as a result of thermal convection of air and strong circulation in the atmosphere. They are often associated with strong winds, rain and sometimes hail.
Thunderstorm clouds are often located at significant altitudes due to the powerful atmospheric processes occurring within them and, have a dark and threatening appearance.
The main types are cumulonimbus and cumulonimbus-rain clouds. Cumulonimbus clouds usually lead to heavy downpours and hail.

Thunderstorm clouds are vertically developed clouds that can be up to 20 kilometers high. Their upper part often has a characteristic anvil-like shape, which is due to the effects of strong upper-level winds that shift the cloud horizontally when it reaches the tropopause.
Thunderstorm clouds can form singly or in groups.

• Structure and Height.
They have a multilevel structure, ranging from low levels (about 1.1 km) to the upper troposphere. Their height can vary, but on average it reaches 10 km, and in some cases up to 20 km.

• Shape.
Their upper part usually has a flat, anvil-like shape, which is the result of interaction with winds at high altitude. This shape indicates strong convective processes within the cloud.

• Precipitation.
Thunderstorm clouds can produce significant precipitation, including showers and hail. They can cause short-lived but intense rainfall that leads to flooding.

• Electrical phenomena.
They are the main source of lightning. An electrical charge builds up inside a thundercloud, resulting in lightning.

The process of their formation begins with the movement of moist and warm air into the upper atmosphere. When such air rises and cools, water droplets begin to condense in it.
These droplets rise higher where they freeze and form small ice crystals. Upward air currents keep the droplets and crystals in suspension, resulting in a cloud made up of ice crystals and water droplets.
In the process of further rise of the air mass, thunderstorm clouds are formed, which can greatly expand in size and reach a height of up to 20 kilometers. The collision of ice particles leads to the accumulation of electric charges in the cloud. When the potential difference reaches a certain limit, a discharge occurs - lightning.
Such clouds are often accompanied by thunderstorms, strong winds, heavy rains, hail and even tornadoes.

Thunderclouds can hold billions of water droplets and ice crystals and, are the most powerful and impressive atmospheric phenomenon.
When the condensed moisture becomes too heavy for the cloud, precipitation begins to fall in the form of rain, snow, or hail.
The main reason why thunderstorm clouds can hold huge amounts of water is the power of the atmospheric processes that occur in them. Due to the enormous size of these clouds and intense air circulation, condensed moisture can remain in them for long periods of time.
At the microscopic level, when water droplets are very small, the viscous force of the air acts on them much stronger than gravity. This allows the droplets to stay in the cloud. But when the water droplets combine to become large and heavy, they begin their fall toward the Earth's surface.

Thunderstorm clouds are incredibly efficient natural reservoirs of water capable of pouring it onto the Earth's surface (in the form of rain, snow, hail), which is an important element of the hydrological cycle on our planet.