How did lightning and thunder come from? (Introduction)

The reasons for lightning and thunder are as follows:

In cumulonimbus clouds, warm air rises rapidly and sinks with cold air. This movement of air makes different areas in the cloud have opposite charges. Lightning occurs when current flows between areas carrying different charges. Lightning may occur in clouds, between clouds or between clouds and the ground.

Due to the action of light and thermal radiation, the temperature of the surrounding air rises sharply, leading to thermal expansion, which in turn pushes the air to form a shock wave, that is, the sound of thunderstorm we hear. The greater the concentration of water molecules in the air, the more impurities there are, the greater the possibility of breakdown ionization by high-voltage electric field, and the higher the probability and intensity of lightning strike.

A weather phenomenon accompanied by lightning and thunder. Thunderstorms often occur in warm moisture masses in front of the front. Warm and humid air is forced to rise, forming high cumulonimbus clouds. The rising air becomes cold, and water vapor gradually condenses into water droplets or ice crystals. They collided with each other, getting bigger and bigger, and finally penetrated the clouds and landed on the surface. Raindrops will make the ambient air temperature drop and the cold air sink. The interaction between sinking cold air and strong rising warm air brings strong winds and produces thunderstorms.

Classification of thunderstorms

1, frontal thunderstorm: it is because when two air masses flowing on the surface meet, the cold air mass flows under the hot air mass because of its high density, and the interface between them forms relative motion and abruptly lifts the hot air mass, and the hot air mass forms powerful rising columns and vortices, thus forming cumulus clouds. At this time, if the temperature of the hot air mass is high enough and there is enough water, a huge thunderstorm cloud can be formed.

2. Thermal thunderstorm: It occurs in mountainous areas. Due to sunlight, the temperature of hills and their ground rises, and hot air flows into the sky because of its low density. The temperature of nearby trees, lakes and rivers is low, and the relatively cold air around them is concentrated in areas with high temperature and low hill density. At the same time, the air flowed into the sky because of the high temperature in the hills, thus forming a hot thunderstorm.