Causes and Effects of Thunderstorms

Manifestations of Nature's Fury:

Man has been an audience to various manifestations of nature's fury throughout time. Induced natural limitations not only take a toll on human population, but also the corresponding food supply. Catastrophes such as floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, tsunamis, drought, volcanic eruptions and landslides not only make us question self-restraint, but also the price for materialistic convenience. The 1500 BC earthquake that wiped off the Minoan culture, 79 AD Vesuvius eruption that destroyed Herculaneum and Pompeii, and the El Nino current that continues to play havoc with world weather, are just some examples.

What is a Thunderstorm?

The National Weather Service defines a thunderstorm as the 'presence of thunder and lightning within and around rainclouds, that generate electrical charges'. Among all the observed cloud formations, the cumulonimbus is a perfect thunder factory. Hence, its nickname as 'thunderhead'. A storm involves the presence of strong winds, with or without precipitation. In a thunderstorm the winds gusts are measured at 58 mph or more.

What causes Thunderstorms?

Thunderstorms are the result of warm, moist air within a raincloud, rising in large volumes and increased velocity. The velocity and volume or air motion within the cloud becomes unstable, reacting to the similar atmosphere around the natural suspension of moisture. The outside temperature falls rapidly in comparison to that within the storm cloud, resulting in a warmer updraft outside. This makes the storm cloud more buoyant. As the water vapor converts into liquid and liquid into hail, the updraft is stoked, causing turbulence within. This trigger force causes the cumulonimbus to erupt violently, unleashing the electrical activity within and precipitation.

Types of Thunderstorms:

Thunderstorms are usually accompanied by hail, lightning, flash floods and tornadoes. The energy released by the more than 20,000 feet high thunderstorm clouds is very impressive. The clouds are known to grow till they actually reach the troposphere. This phenomenon is referred to as 'tropopause'. Thunderstorms called 'trop busters' are unusually intense, releasing internal updrafts at more than 100 mph. Radar records reveal echoes that exceed 70,000 feet! The birth of a thunderstorm involves a number of atmospheric processes that characterize them by form. The air mass thunderstorm is usually short lived and characterized by moist high-pressure exertion. Sea breeze thunderstorms are cold, frontal manifestations, while the squall lines comprise a series of storms. The other thunderstorm types include the mesoscale convective complex that can last for up to more than twelve hours and supercells, which produce tornadoes and hail storms.

Thunderstorm Effects:

Thunderstorm updrafts and downdrafts result in heavy precipitation. Wind gusts pick up hurricane force, accompanied by thunder and lightning. Thunderstorms disrupt human life in more than one way. The felling of millions of trees, deaths due to lightning hazard and wind shear are just some of the dissipation manifestations. Thunderstorms commonly result in local atmospheric instability, catastrophic flooding, very strong winds, tornadoes and multi-cell storms. These storms have a pronounced effect on the weather over a large area, with energy released at the rate of more than 10,000,000 kilowatts! Thunderstorms occur in varied force, throughout the world. While they are a common occurrence in the tropical rainforest regions, the polar regions are not spared either. Thunderstorms are commonly associated with the onset of the monsoons. The electrical discharge referred to as lightning is responsible for striking terrestrial structures at the speed of sound. This poses a great threat to human life and property.