Written Report

(Thunderstorm)

Overview:

 Thunderstorm, a violent, short-lived weather disturbance that is almost always

associated with lightning, thunder, dense clouds, heavy rain or hail, and strong,

gusty winds. Thunderstorms arise when layers of warm, moist air rise in a large,

swift updraft to cooler regions of the atmosphere. There the moisture contained

in the updraft condenses to form towering cumulonimbus clouds and, eventually,

precipitation. Columns of cooled air then sink earthward, striking the ground with

strong downdrafts and horizontal winds. At the same time, electrical charges

accumulate on cloud particles (water droplets and ice). Lightning discharges

occur when the accumulated electric charge becomes sufficiently large. Lightning

heats the air it passes through so intensely and quickly that shock waves are

produced; these shock waves are heard as claps and rolls of thunder. On

occasion, severe thunderstorms are accompanied by swirling vortices of air that

become concentrated and powerful enough to form tornadoes.

Background:

 A thunderstorm is simply a rain shower that is accompanied by lightning

and loud thunder. Also referred to as a lightning storm, electrical shower

or thundershower, it is characterized by strong winds and heavy rains.

 Thunderstorms form when an air mass becomes unstable (when air in the

lowest layers is very warm and humid, or air in the upper layers is

unusually cold, or if both occur). Rising near-surface air in an unstable air

mass expands and cools, making it warmer than its environment, which

causes it to rise even farther. If enough water vapor is present, some of

this vapor condenses into a cloud, releasing heat, which makes the air

parcel even warmer, forcing it to rise yet again. Water vapor fuels the

storm.

 Thunderstorms are most likely in the spring and summer months and

during the afternoon and evening hours, but they can occur year-round

and at all hours. Along the Gulf Coast and across the southeastern and

western states, most thunderstorms occur during the afternoon.

Thunderstorms frequently occur in the late afternoon and at night in the

Plains states.
 Thunderstorms can happen anywhere and at any time as long as the

weather conditions are right. These storms most frequently form within

areas located at mid-latitude where warm moist air front collides and

border cool air fronts. Compared to more active parts of the United States,

thunderstorms are relatively rare in Alaska, New England, North Dakota,

Montana, and other northern states where the air is generally cold.

Thunderstorms are also usually rare along the Pacific Coast, since the

summer time air there is relatively dry. On the other hand, Florida's Gulf

Coast experiences the greatest number of thunderstorms out of any U.S.

location. These types of storms occur on average 130 days per year in

Florida.
Discussion:

Definition of thunderstorm

 A thunderstorm is defined as a local storm produced by a cumulonimbus cloud

and accompanied by lightning and thunder (NWS, n.d.c). Thunderstorms usually

occur in areas where masses of cold and warm air meet; these are known as

fronts. A thunderstorm, which is sometimes referred to as a thunder event, is

composed of lightning and rainfall, but it can intensify into a severe thunderstorm

with damaging hail, high winds, tornadoes, and flash flooding (FEMA, 1997).

How thunderstorm form

 Thunderstorms form as a result of warm air rising and cold air sinking within the

atmosphere. Thunderstorms are broadly classified into a few types, but any kind

of thunderstorm requires three basic ingredients to form – a source of moisture,

an unstable atmosphere (i.e., rising hot and sinking cold air), and a mechanism

to trigger a thunderstorm updraft, either through heating or forced lifting. When

the ground is heated by the sun’s radiation, the air immediately above it becomes

hot (due to conduction) and begins to move up in the atmosphere (the

conjunction of wet/dry and warm/cold air in areas like hills or mountains can

trigger a rising motion). The warm, less-dense air continues rising within the

atmosphere until it’s lighter than the air surrounding it.

 The rising air, which also carries a lot of water vapor, constantly transfers its heat

to the upper levels of the atmosphere (due to convection). As a result, the heat is

steadily lost and the water vapor it carries begins to cool down, subsequently
 turning into a cloud. This cloud travels to the upper levels, where the temperature

is still lower, and becomes host to a ton of small ice particles (which are actually

just frozen liquid drops). These ice particles sometimes bump and rub against

one another, gaining some net electric charge. Large regions of electric charges

eventually cause lighting and loud cracks of thunder, the classic signs associated

with a thunderstorm.

Types of Thunderstorm

 Single-cell thunderstorms are small, brief, weak storms that grow and die within

an hour or so. They are typically driven by heating on a summer afternoon.

Single-cell storms may produce brief heavy rain and lightning.

 A multi-cell storm is a common, garden-variety thunderstorm in which new

updrafts form along the leading edge of rain-cooled air (the gust front). Individual

cells usually last 30 to 60 minutes, while the system as a whole may last for

many hours. Multicell storms may produce hail, strong winds, brief tornadoes,

and/or flooding.

 A squall line is a group of storms arranged in a line, often accompanied by

“squalls” of high wind and heavy rain. Squall lines tend to pass quickly and are

less prone to produce tornadoes than are supercells. They can be hundreds of

miles long but are typically only 10 or 20 miles wide.

 A supercell is a long-lived (greater than 1 hour) and highly organized storm

feeding off an updraft (a rising current of air) that is tilted and rotating. This

rotating updraft - as large as 10 miles in diameter and up to 50,000 feet tall - can

be present as much as 20 to 60 minutes before a tornado forms. Scientists call

 this rotation a mesocyclone when it is detected by Doppler radar. The tornado is

a very small extension of this larger rotation. Most large and violent tornadoes

come from supercells.

The Thunderstorm Life Cycle

 The developing stage of a thunderstorm is marked by a cumulus cloud that is

being pushed upward by a rising column of air (updraft). The cumulus cloud soon

looks like a tower (called towering cumulus) as the updraft continues to develop.

There is little to no rain during this stage but occasional lightning. The

thunderstorm enters the mature stage when the updraft continues to feed the

storm, but precipitation begins to fall out of the storm, creating a downdraft (a

column of air pushing downward). When the downdraft and rain-cooled air

spreads out along the ground it forms a gust front, or a line of gusty winds. The

mature stage is the most likely time for hail, heavy rain, frequent lightning, strong

winds, and tornadoes. Eventually, a large amount of precipitation is produced

and the updraft is overcome by the downdraft beginning the dissipating stage. At

the ground, the gust front moves out a long distance from the storm and cuts off

the warm moist air that was feeding the thunderstorm. Rainfall decreases in

intensity, but lightning remains a danger.

What kinds of damage can thunderstorms cause?

 Many hazardous weather events are associated with thunderstorms. Under the

right conditions, rainfall from thunderstorms causes flash flooding, killing more

people each year than hurricanes, tornadoes or lightning. Lightning is

responsible for many fires around the world each year, and causes fatalities. Hail

up to the size of softballs damages cars and windows, and kills livestock caught

out in the open. Strong (up to more than 120 mph) straight-line winds associated

with thunderstorms knock down trees, power lines and mobile homes.

What to do when there is a thunderstorm

 Before, during, after.

Conclusion:

 You have learned the different types of lightning, its causes, effects, and how to

stay safe. With this knowledge you can now appreciate these complex forces of

nature.

 Lightning is a deadly but often avoidable hazard. If the proper precautions are

taken the threat of this hazard can be greatly reduced. Through education

people can raise their awareness and understanding of lightning strikes,

therefore reducing their risk of injury or death. Lightning effects everyone

because it can strike anywhere and thunderstorms can move very quickly.

Lighting is one of nature’s most concentrated ways of releasing energy which is

why it can be so deadly. A person has a 1 in 3000 chance of being struck by

lightning in their lifetime but by being aware a person could reduce this chance

significantly.

References:
Maranatha Broadcasting Company, Inc. (2019) Where are thunderstorms most
likely to occur? from, https://www.wfmz.com/weather/where-are-thunderstorms-
most-likely-to-
occur_2016052610274514/16723242?fbclid=IwAR3GY_4C1cOQZacyEjoOryL0H
TbElmgJLIrdaGmUA8C8ndfzmUU09DUyKEU

David L.B. Severe Weather.

from,https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/thunderstorms/?fbclid=IwAR
0ZnKu6jBkoQf0t2GMJ2eKLqH9EEjExpxlf0q5e3HL_nT0vjErSHxj_X6Y

Stephen K.,Seymour S.,Jonathan D.W., Lighting and Thunderstorm.

from,http://hlightning.weebly.com/conclusion.html?fbclid=IwAR0Egd56JiDyo3l5jF
XHX5dTImx1cVEr1AgLRc62u23kmNkPshdQlUuXWJ4

Elsevier B.V. (2019 ) Thunderstorm.

from,https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-
sciences/thunderstorms?fbclid=IwAR11jU5fltNsjl04wW2pruP3o4lVTnNacqLuLjW
d8U7UsS7Jd2e04eNsc4U
 GROUP 6
Members:
Cymer Verzosa
Hannagen Sabangan
Carl Lester Chopitea
John Michael Benosa