![]() ![]() Single cell thunderstorms usually last between 20-30 minutes. Types of thunderstorms The single cell storm Rainfall decreases in intensity, but lightning remains a danger. 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. The storm occasionally has a black or dark green appearance.Įventually, a large amount of precipitation is produced and the updraft is overcome by the downdraft beginning the dissipating stage. ![]() The mature stage is the most likely time for hail, heavy rain, frequent lightning, strong winds, and tornadoes. When the downdraft and rain-cooled air spreads out along the ground it forms a gust front, or a line of gusty winds. The thunderstorm enters the mature stage when the updraft continues to feed the storm, but precipitation begins to fall out of the storm, and a downdraft begins (a column of air pushing downward). The developing stage lasts about 10 minutes. There is little to no rain during this stage but occasional lightning. ![]() The cumulus cloud soon looks like a tower (called towering cumulus) as the updraft continues to develop. The developing stage of a thunderstorm is marked by a cumulus cloud that is being pushed upward by a rising column of air (updraft). Thunderstorms have a life cycle of three stages: The developing stage, the mature stage, and the dissipating stage. When the charges build up enough, they are discharged in a bolt of lightning, which causes the sound waves we hear as thunder. Ice particles usually have positive charges, and rain droplets usually have negative charges. Some of the water vapor turns to ice and some of it turns into water droplets. The cloud eventually grows upward into areas where the temperature is below freezing. The water vapor it contains begins to cool, releasing the heat, and it condenses into a cloud. As the air rises, it transfers heat from the surface of the earth to the upper levels of the atmosphere (the process of convection). If this warm surface air is forced to rise - hills or mountains, or areas where warm/cold or wet/dry air bump together can cause rising motion - it will continue to rise as long as it weighs less and stays warmer than the air around it. The sun heats the surface of the earth, which warms the air above it. Three basic ingredients are required for a thunderstorm to form: moisture, rising unstable air (air that keeps rising when given a nudge), and a lifting mechanism to provide the "nudge." It is estimated that there are 100,000 thunderstorms each year. At any given moment, there are roughly 2,000 thunderstorms in progress around the world. What we knowĪn average thunderstorm is 15 miles in diameter and lasts an average of 30 minutes. A thunderstorm is classified as "severe" when it contains one or more of the following: hail three-quarter inch or greater, winds gusting in excess of 50 knots (57.5 mph), tornado. Since thunder comes from lightning, all thunderstorms have lightning. A thunderstorm is a rain shower during which you hear thunder. ![]()
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