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Thunderstorms, Structure, Stages, Formation & Diagram

Thunderstorms

A thunderstorm is a strong weather event related to large, tall clouds called cumulonimbus, where air rises quickly. Thunderstorms bring heavy rain, often called “cloud bursts,” but the rain usually lasts only a short time. This article explains how thunderstorms form from rising and falling air. It also describes the three stages of a thunderstorm: the cumulus stage, the mature stage, and the dissipating stage. This information will be very helpful for those preparing for the UPSC IAS Exam.

Thunderstorm Structure

A thunderstorm has several parts called convective cells, which are marked by strong upward air movement. Each cell goes through three stages: young, mature, and old.

Stage Details
First Stage It is the cumulus stage when warm air rises strongly upward and helps in the formation of clouds.
Second Stage It is a mature stage characterized by both the upward and downward movement of winds and the occurrence of rainfall.
Third stage The third stage is dissipating stage, characterized by the downward movement of winds that spread over the ground surface and stop the vertical movement of winds.

Read More: Types of Winds

Thunderstorms Formation

Thunderstorms are caused by Cumulonimbus Clouds, which form when warm, moist air rises quickly. These clouds can reach heights of over 20 kilometers. As the warm air rises, it cools and turns into water droplets or ice when it reaches its dew point.

Any precipitation that falls through the clouds it travels a long way to the ground. Smaller droplets collide to create larger ones. As these droplets fall, they pull down cold air, creating strong winds that are common in thunderstorms.

  • Three main ingredients for a thunderstorm: Moisture, Rising unstable air and A lifting mechanism
  • The sun heats the earth’s surface, warming the air above it.
  • Warm air rises, especially near hills or where different air masses meet. It keeps rising if it’s lighter and warmer than the surrounding air.
  • As the air rises, it cools, turning water vapor into clouds.
  • The cloud grows upward into freezing temperatures, forming ice particles.
  • Ice particles grow by collecting vapor and smaller liquid drops.
  • When ice particles collide, they gain electric charge. This buildup of charges creates lightning and thunder.

Thunderstorm and Weather

Surface heating through intense insolation, mainly during summer on land surfaces, causes a convective mechanism resulting in an updraft of air and condition for precipitation.

1. Rainfall

Rainfall is in the form of a heavy downpour with the greatest intensity of all other forms of precipitation but of short duration.

2. Hailstorm

When condensation occurs below the freezing point, ice particles of big size are formed. Not every thunderstorm produces hail. Hail falls on the ground surface when they are capable of overcoming the force of rising convection currents.

3. Lighting

In a mature thunderstorm, areas with electric charges form. Positive charges build up in the upper part of the clouds, while negative charges gather in the lower part. Lightning happens when the difference between these charges becomes very strong.

4. Thundering

Sound is produced due to the sudden and rapid expansion of air columns caused by intense heat resulting from lightning strokes.

Read More: Types of Clouds

Are Thunderstorms Dangerous?

  • Thunderstorms can be very dangerous for people and the environment.
  • They cause flash floods and large hailstones.
  • Flash floods kill more people each year than hurricanes, tornadoes, or lightning.
  • Strong thunderstorm cells can create tornadoes and waterspouts.
  • Lightning causes many fires and can be deadly.
  • Hail can be as big as softballs, damaging vehicles and harming livestock.
  • Strong winds from thunderstorms can damage trees, power lines, and public property.
  • Tornadoes can reach speeds of up to 300 miles per hour, destroying almost everything except well-built structures.

Read More: Types of Rocks

Thunderstorms UPSC

  • Tornadoes and thunderstorms are severe local storms. They are brief and occur over a small area, but they are violent.
  • A thunderstorm is a storm that includes thunder and lightning, as well as heavy rain or hail.
  • Thunderstorms are most common when the temperature is high. Because of the cold, thunderstorms are less common in bodies of water.
  • Every year, an estimated 16 million thunderstorms occur worldwide, with approximately 2,000 thunderstorms active at any given time.

Other Indian Geography Topics

Seasons of India Mountains of India
Mangrove Forests in India Important Mountain Passes in India
Monsoon in India
Indus River System
Climate of India
Rivers of India
Tributaries of Ganga
National Parks in India
Important Dams in India
Wildlife Sanctuaries of India
Tiger Reserves in India
Northern Plains of India
Physiography of India
Important Lakes of India
Wetlands in India
Biodiversity in India
Natural Vegetation in India Earthquakes in India
Types of Soil in India
Ramsar Sites in India
Brahmaputra River System
Hydropower Plants in India
Nuclear Power Plants in India
Major Ports in India
Biosphere Reserves in India
Waterfalls in India

Other Fundamental Geography Topics

Solar System Types of Clouds
Structure of the Atmosphere Himalayan Ranges
Component of Environment
El Nino and La Nina
Coral Reef
Continental Drift Theory
Endogenic and Exogenic Forces
Indian Ocean Region
Pacific Ocean
Indian Ocean Dipole
Air Pollution
Environmental Impact Assessment
Tropical Cyclone
Western Disturbances
Types of Rocks

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FAQs

What is a thunderstorm UPSC?

A thunderstorm is an electric storm that also produces lightning. Lightning strikes during a scattered thunderstorm produce a noticeable audible effect in the Earth's atmosphere.

What happens in a thunderstorm?

Thunderstorms are characterised by lightning and thunder. Supercell thunderstorms are the most severe type of thunderstorm, causing severe tornadoes, damaging winds, and large hail.

What causes thunderstorms?

Layers of warm, moist air rise in a strong updraft to cooler areas of the atmosphere, causing thunderstorms. The moisture in the updraft condenses there, forming imposing cumulonimbus clouds and, eventually, precipitation.

What are the causes of lightning?

During a thunderstorm, when a charged cloud passes over an uncharged cloud, the uncharged cloud is inducted with the opposing charge and the two clouds are attracted to one another. When they combine, they generate a large amount of heat, light, and sound, also known as lightning.

How do you explain lightning and thunder?

The sound made by a lightning strike is known as thunder. Lightning quickly heats the air as it passes through it. This causes the air to rapidly expand, producing a thunderous sound wave. Thunder can usually be heard about 10 miles away from a lightning strike.

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