rain

How are lightning and thunder produced?

Because it is very turbulent inside a cumulonimbus cloud, the water droplets and ice crystals in it will break up and become electrically charged. Generally speaking, the upper portion of the cloud is positively charged, while the middle and lower portions are negatively charged. When the electric voltage between the positive and negative charges is large enough, discharges take place between clouds or between cloud and the earth's surface, and lightning is said to have occurred. The electric current in a lightning discharge generates a large amount of heat. This causes a very rapid expansion of the local air, resulting in rumbles of thunder.

Distribution of positive and negative charges inside a cumulonimbus cloud
Thunderstorms are sometimes preceded or accompanied by heavy rain and squalls. These arise when the water droplets in the cumulonimbus cloud can no longer be supported by the underlying air and fall down as rain. The downward rushing air produces squalls.


How to estimate the distance of a thunderstorm?

Lightning and thunder practically occur at the same time. However, because light travels much faster than sound, people always see lightning before hearing thunder. The distance of the thunderstorm may be roughly estimated by the time difference between the flash and the thunder. As a rule of thumb, if the sound of thunder reaches an observer three seconds after a lightning flash, the thunderstorm is about 1 kilometre away.







The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.
Genesis 7:24