In thunderstorm weather, we often see lightning first and then hear thunder. Do you know why?

The main reason for seeing lightning before hearing thunder is that light travels fast.

If lightning falls nearby, we hear deafening thunder or tearing. If lightning falls far away, we hear rumbling thunder.

This is because sound waves are refracted by the atmosphere and reflected by ground objects. If lightning falls nearby, we will hear the sound of trees falling and then explode. This is because lightning quickly tears the air, making a tearing sound, and then the air suddenly closes, and the sound of friction and collision is like an explosion.

Extended data

The most common lightning is linear lightning, which is some very bright white, pink or light blue lines. It looks like a river with many branches on the map, and it hangs in the sky like a winding tree. Scientists have long known the "temper" of linear lightning. The whole process of linear lightning can be completely recorded by continuous high-speed camera, and the simulation experiment can be successfully carried out in the laboratory.

In addition to linear lightning, there are spherical lightning and chain lightning, both of which are relatively rare.

Spherical lightning often occurs in bad weather of strong thunderstorm. A fireball suddenly appeared in the sky after the linear lightning. The fireball floats in the sky along a winding path, and sometimes it may stop and hang in the air. This kind of fireball likes to drill holes, and sometimes it rushes into the house through chimneys, windows and cracks in the door, and then slips out of the house.