Science

Thunderstorms
Presented by: Allaina Marie A. Elardo

What are
thunderstorms?

A thunderstorm, also known as an

electrical storm or a lightning
storm, is a storm characterized by
the presence of lightning and its
acoustic effect on the Earth's
atmosphere, known as thunder.
Relatively weak thunderstorms are
sometimes called thundershowers.
What are
thunderstorms?

occur in a type of cloud known

as a cumulonimbus.
usually accompanied by strong
winds and often producing
heavy rain and sometimes
snow, sleet, or hail
(some) produce little
precipitation or no
precipitation at all.
How are they formed?
Thunderstorms form when warm, moist air rises into cold air. The
warm air becomes cooler, which causes moisture, called water
vapor, to form small water droplets — a process called condensation.
The cooled air drops lower in the atmosphere, warms, and rises
again.
3 Types of Thunderstorms

Supercell thunderstorms are the

Supercell
strongest and most severe.

Single-cell thunderstorms are small, brief,

Single-Cell weak storms that grow and die within an
hour or so. Single-cell storms may produce
brief heavy rain and lightning but usually do
not cause any major damage.
3 Types of Thunderstorms

A multicellular thunderstorm is a
thunderstorm that is composed of multiple
Multi-Cell cells, each being at a different stage in the
life cycle of a thunderstorm. It appears as
several anvils clustered together.
Generally, thunderstorms require
three conditions to form:

1 Moisture

2 An unstable airmass

3 A lifting force (heat)

Thunderstorms

All thunderstorms, regardless of

type, go through three stages: the
developing stage, the mature
stage, and the dissipation stage.
The average thunderstorm has a
24 km diameter. Depending on
the conditions present in the
atmosphere, each of these three
stages takes an average of 30
minutes.
 Developing Stage Mature Stage

The cumulus stage is the first The mature stage of a

stage of a thunderstorm when
masses of moisture are lifted
upwards into the atmosphere due
to solar illumination, thermals, two
winds converging, or winds blowing
over terrain of increasing
elevation. Convection causes the
air to rise in an updraft, creating a
low-pressure zone.
thunderstorm is marked by the
presence of both an updraft and a
downdraft, resulting in
cumulonimbus clouds and internal
turbulence. This can lead to strong
winds, severe lightning, and even
tornadoes.
 Dissipation Stage

The dissipation stage of a

thunderstorm is dominated by
the downdraft, which pushes
cool air to the ground and
spreads out. This creates an
outflow boundary, which can
cause downbursts, a potential
hazardous condition for
aircraft to fly through.
Thank you!

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