Why is thunder so loud

This is either because thunder is rarely heard more than 20 km away or because the atmospheric conditions lead to sound bending upwards and away from the surface. How far away is a thunderstorm? You might also like. Lightning is a huge electrical discharge that flows between clouds, from a cloud to air, or from a cloud to the ground. Read more. In this article we take a quick look at what exactly is meant by phrases like 'summer showers' and 'sunshine and showers'.

When thunderstorms form in wintry conditions they can sometimes give rise to heavy downpours of snow which are often called 'thundersnow'. Why is thunder so loud? The louder the sound that you hear, the closer you are to the lightning. Light travels through air much faster than sound. If you see the lightning and hear the thunder immediately, then the lightning is very close to you.

So, remember this important lesson: when thunder roars, go indoors. Hello, curious kids! Ask an adult to send your question to africa-curiouskids theconversation. Please tell us your name, age, and which city you live in. Estelle Trengove , Associate professor in electrical engineering, with a research interest in lightning safety, University of the Witwatersrand. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

Read the original article. The temperature of the air in the lightning channel may reach as high as 50, degrees Fahrenheit, 5 times hotter than the surface of the sun.

Immediately after the flash, the air cools and contracts quickly. This rapid expansion and contraction creates the sound wave that we hear as thunder. Although a lightning discharge usually strikes just one spot on the ground, it travels many miles through the air. When you listen to thunder, you'll first hear the thunder created by that portion of the lightning channel that is nearest you.

As you continue to listen, you'll hear the sound created from the portions of the channel farther and farther away. Typically, a sharp crack or click will indicate that the lightning channel passed nearby.