text: thunderstorm a thunderstorm , also known as an electrical storm , lightning storm , or , is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the earth 's atmosphere , known as thunder . thunderstorms occur in association with a type of cloud known as a cumulonimbus . they are usually accompanied by strong winds , heavy rain , and sometimes snow , sleet , hail , or , in contrast , no precipitation at all . thunderstorms may line up in a series or become a rainband , known as a squall line . strong or severe thunderstorms , known as supercells , rotate as do cyclones . while most thunderstorms move with the mean wind flow through the layer of the troposphere that they occupy , vertical wind shear sometimes causes a deviation in their course at a right angle to the wind shear direction . thunderstorms result from the rapid upward movement of warm , moist air , sometimes along a front . as the warm , moist air moves upward , it cools , condenses , and forms a cumulonimbus cloud that can reach heights of over 20 kilometres ( 12 mi ) . as the rising air reaches its dew point temperature , water vapor condenses into water droplets or ice , reducing pressure locally within the thunderstorm cell . any precipitation falls the long distance through the clouds towards the earth 's surface . as the droplets fall , they collide with other droplets and become larger . the falling droplets create a downdraft as it pulls cold air with it , and this cold air spreads out at the earth 's surface , occasionally causing strong winds that are commonly associated with thunderstorms . thunderstorms can form and develop in any geographic location but most frequently within the mid - latitude , where warm , moist air from tropical latitudes collides with cooler air from polar latitudes . thunderstorms are responsible for the development and formation of many severe weather phenomena . thunderstorms , and the phenomena that occur along with them , pose great hazards . damage that results from thunderstorms is mainly inflicted by downburst winds , large hailstones , and flash flooding caused by heavy precipitation . stronger thunderstorm cells are capable of producing tornadoes and waterspouts . there are four types of thunderstorms : single - cell , multi - cell cluster , multi - cell lines , and supercells . supercell thunderstorms are the strongest and the most associated with severe weather phenomena . mesoscale convective systems formed by favorable vertical wind shear within the tropics and subtropics can be responsible for the development of hurricanes . dry thunderstorms , with no precipitation , can cause the outbreak of wildfires from the heat generated from the cloud - to - ground lightning that accompanies them . several means are used to study thunderstorms : weather radar , weather stations , and video photography . past civilizations held various myths concerning thunderstorms and their development as late as the 18th century . beyond the earth 's atmosphere , thunderstorms have also been observed on the planets of jupiter , saturn , neptune , and venus . life cycle warm air has a lower density than cool air , so warmer air rises upwards and cooler air will settle at the bottom ( this effect can be seen with a hot air balloon ) . clouds form as relatively warmer air , carrying moisture , rises within cooler air . the moist air rises , and , as it does so , it cools and some of the water vapor in that rising air condenses . when the moisture condenses , it releases energy known as latent heat of vaporization , which allows the rising packet of air to cool less than the cooler surrounding air continuing the cloud 's ascension . if enough instability is present in the atmosphere , this process will continue long enough for cumulonimbus clouds to form and produce lightning and thunder . meteorological indices such as convective available potential energy ( cape ) and the lifted index can be used to assist in determining potential upward vertical development of clouds . generally , thunderstorms require three conditions to form : moisture an unstable airmass a lifting force ( heat ) all thunderstorms , regardless of type , go through three stages : the developing stage , the mature stage , and the dissipation stage . the average thunderstorm has a 24 km ( 15 mi ) diameter . depending on the conditions present in the atmosphere , each of these three stages take an average of 30 minutes . cumulus stage the first stage of a thunderstorm is the cumulus stage or developing stage . during this stage , masses of moisture are lifted upwards into the atmosphere . the trigger for this lift can be solar illumination , where the heating of the ground produces thermals , or where two winds converge forcing air upwards , or where winds blow over terrain of increasing elevation . the moisture carried upward cools into liquid drops of water due to lower temperatures at high altitude , which appear as cumulus clouds . as the water vapor condenses into liquid , latent heat is released , which warms the air , causing it to become less dense than the surrounding , drier air . the air tends to rise in an updraft through the process of convection ( hence the term convective precipitation ) . this process creates a low - pressure zone within and beneath the forming thunderstorm . in a typical thunderstorm , approximately 5 × 108 kg of water vapor are lifted into the earth 's atmosphere . mature stage in the mature stage of a thunderstorm , the warmed air continues to rise until it reaches an area of warmer air and can rise no farther . often this ' cap ' is the tropopause . the air is instead forced to spread out , giving the storm a characteristic anvil shape . the resulting cloud is called cumulonimbus incus . the water droplets coalesce into larger and heavier droplets and freeze to become ice particles . as these fall , they melt to become rain . if the updraft is strong enough , the droplets are held aloft long enough to become so large that they do not melt completely but fall as hail . while updrafts are still present , the falling rain drags the surrounding air with it , creating downdrafts as well . the simultaneous presence of both an updraft and a downdraft marks the mature stage of the storm and produces cumulonimbus clouds . during this stage , considerable internal turbulence can occur within , which manifests as strong winds , severe lightning , and even tornadoes . typically , if there is little wind shear , the storm will rapidly enter the dissipating stage and ' rain itself out ' , but , if there is sufficient change in wind speed and / or direction , the downdraft will be separated from the updraft , and the storm may become a supercell , where the mature stage can sustain itself for several hours . stage in the dissipation stage , the thunderstorm is dominated by the downdraft . if atmospheric conditions do not support super cellular development , this stage occurs rather quickly , approximately 20 – 30 minutes into the life of the thunderstorm . the downdraft will push down out of the thunderstorm , hit the ground and spread out . this phenomenon is known as a downburst . the cool air carried to the ground by the downdraft cuts off the inflow of the thunderstorm , the updraft disappears and the thunderstorm will dissipate . thunderstorms in an atmosphere with virtually no vertical wind shear weaken as soon as they send out an outflow boundary in all directions , which then quickly cuts off its inflow of relatively warm , moist air , and kills the thunderstorm 's further growth . the downdraft hitting the ground creates an outflow boundary . this can cause downbursts , a potential hazardous condition for aircraft to fly through , as a substantial change in wind speed and direction occurs , resulting in a decrease of airspeed and the subsequent reduction in lift for the aircraft . the stronger the outflow boundary is , the stronger the resultant vertical wind shear becomes . classification there are four main types of thunderstorms : single - cell , multi - cell , squall line ( also called multi - cell line ) and supercell . which type forms depends on the instability and relative wind conditions at different layers of the atmosphere ( " wind shear " ) . single - cell thunderstorms form in environments of low vertical wind shear and last only 20 – 30 minutes . organized thunderstorms and thunderstorm clusters / lines can have longer life cycles as they form in environments of significant vertical wind shear , which aids the development of stronger updrafts as well as various forms of severe weather . the supercell is the strongest of the thunderstorms , most commonly associated with large hail , high winds , and tornado formation . single - cell this term technically applies to a single thunderstorm with one main updraft . also known as air - mass thunderstorms , these are the typical summer thunderstorms in many temperate locales . they also occur in the cool unstable air that often follows the passage of a cold front from the sea during winter . within a cluster of thunderstorms , the term " cell " refers to each separate principal updraft . thunderstorm cells occasionally form in isolation , as the occurrence of one thunderstorm can develop an outflow boundary that sets up new thunderstorm development . such storms are rarely severe and are a result of local atmospheric instability ; hence the term " air mass thunderstorm " . when such storms have a brief period of severe weather associated with them , it is known as a pulse severe storm . pulse severe storms are poorly organized and occur randomly in time and space , making them difficult to forecast . single - cell thunderstorms normally last 20 – 30 minutes . multi - cell clusters this is the most common type of thunderstorm development . mature thunderstorms are found near the center of the cluster , while dissipating thunderstorms exist on their downwind side . storms form as clusters of storms but may then evolve into one or more squall lines . while each cell of the cluster may only last 20 minutes , the cluster itself may persist for hours at a time . they often arise from convective updrafts in or near mountain ranges and linear weather boundaries , such as strong cold fronts or troughs of low pressure . these type of storms are stronger than the single - cell storm , yet much weaker than the supercell storm . hazards with the multicell cluster include moderate - sized hail , flash flooding , and weak tornadoes . lines a squall line is an elongated line of severe thunderstorms that can form along and / or ahead of a cold front . in the early 20th century , the term was used as a synonym for cold front . the squall line contains heavy precipitation , hail , frequent lightning , strong straight line winds , and possibly tornadoes and waterspouts . severe weather in the form of strong straight - line winds can be expected in areas where the squall line itself is in the shape of a bow echo , within the portion of the line that bows out the most . tornadoes can be found along waves within a line echo wave pattern , or lewp , where mesoscale low pressure areas are present . some bow echoes in the summer are called derechos , and move quite fast through large sections of territory . on the back edge of the rain shield associated with mature squall lines , a wake low can form , which is a mesoscale low pressure area that forms behind the mesoscale high pressure system normally present under the rain canopy , which are sometimes associated with a heat burst . this kind of storm is also known as " wind of the stony lake " ( traditional chinese : – , simplified chinese : ) in southern china . supercells supercell storms are large , usually severe , quasi - steady - state storms that form in an environment where wind speed or wind direction varies with height ( " wind shear " ) , and they have separate downdrafts and updrafts ( i.e. , where its associated precipitation is not falling through the updraft ) with a strong , rotating updraft ( a " mesocyclone " ) . these storms normally have such powerful updrafts that the top of the supercell storm cloud ( or anvil ) can break through the troposphere and reach into the lower levels of the stratosphere , and supercell storms can be 15 miles ( 24 km ) wide . research has shown that at least 90 percent of supercells cause severe weather . these storms can produce destructive tornadoes , sometimes f3 or higher , extremely large hailstones ( 4 inches or 10 centimetres diameter ) , straight - line winds in excess of 80 mph ( 130 km / h ) , and flash floods . in fact , research has also shown that most tornadoes occur from this type of thunderstorm . supercells are the strongest type of thunderstorm , even stronger than the most severe thunderstorms . severe thunderstorms a thunderstorm is classed as severe if winds reach at least 93 kilometres per hour ( 58 mph ) , hail is 1 inch ( 25 mm ) in diameter or larger , or if funnel clouds or tornadoes are reported . although a funnel cloud or tornado indicates a severe thunderstorm , a tornado warning is issued in place of a severe thunderstorm warning . a severe thunderstorm warning is issued if a thunderstorm becomes severe , or will soon turn severe . in canada , a rainfall rate greater than 50 millimetres ( 2 in ) in one hour , or 75 millimetres ( 3 in ) in three hours , is also used to indicate severe thunderstorms . severe thunderstorms can occur from any type of storm cell . however , multicell , supercell , and squall lines represent the most common forms of thunderstorms that produce severe weather . mesoscale convective systems a mesoscale convective system ( mcs ) is a complex of thunderstorms that becomes organized on a scale larger than the individual thunderstorms but smaller than extratropical cyclones , and normally persists for several hours or more . a mesoscale convective system 's overall cloud and precipitation pattern may be round or linear in shape , and include weather systems such as tropical cyclones , squall lines , lake - effect snow events , polar lows , and mesoscale convective complexes ( mccs ) , and they generally form near weather fronts . most mesoscale convective systems develop overnight and continue their lifespan through the next day . the type that forms during the warm season over land has been noted across north america , europe , and asia , with a maximum in activity noted during the late afternoon and evening hours . forms of mcs that develop in the tropics are found in use either the intertropical convergence zone or monsoon troughs , generally within the warm season between spring and fall . more intense systems form over land than over water . one exception is that of lake - effect snow bands , which form due to cold air moving across relatively warm bodies of water , and occurs from fall through spring . polar lows are a second special class of mcs . they form at high latitudes during the cold season . once the parent mcs dies , later thunderstorm development can occur in connection with its remnant mesoscale convective vortex ( mcv ) . mesoscale convective systems are important to the united states rainfall climatology over the great plains since they bring the region about half of their annual warm season rainfall . motion the two major ways thunderstorms move are via advection of the wind and propagation along outflow boundaries towards sources of greater heat and moisture . many thunderstorms move with the mean wind speed through the earth 's troposphere , the lowest 8 kilometres ( 5 . 0 mi ) of the earth 's atmosphere . weaker thunderstorms are steered by winds closer to the earth 's surface than stronger thunderstorms , as the weaker thunderstorms are not as tall . organized , long - lived thunderstorm cells and complexes move at a right angle to the direction of the vertical wind shear vector . if the gust front , or leading edge of the outflow boundary , races ahead of the thunderstorm , its motion will accelerate in tandem . this is more of a factor with thunderstorms with heavy precipitation ( hp ) than with thunderstorms with low precipitation ( lp ) . when thunderstorms merge , which is most likely when numerous thunderstorms exist in proximity to each other , the motion of the stronger thunderstorm normally dictates the future motion of the merged cell . the stronger the mean wind , the less likely other processes will be involved in storm motion . on weather radar , storms are tracked by using a prominent feature and tracking it from scan to scan . back - building thunderstorm a back - building thunderstorm , commonly referred to as a training thunderstorm , is a thunderstorm in which new development takes place on the upwind side ( usually the west or southwest side in the northern hemisphere ) , such that the storm seems to remain stationary or propagate in a backward direction . though the storm often appears stationary on radar , or even moving upwind , this is an illusion . the storm is really a multi - cell storm with new , more vigorous cells that form on the upwind side , replacing older cells that continue to drift downwind . when this happens , catastrophic flooding is possible . in rapid city , south dakota , in 1972 , an unusual alignment of winds at various levels of the atmosphere combined to produce a continuously training set of cells that dropped an enormous quantity of rain upon the same area , resulting in devastating flash flooding . a similar event occurred in boscastle , england , on 16 august 2004 . hazards each year , many people are killed or seriously injured by severe thunderstorms despite the advance warning . while severe thunderstorms are most common in the spring and summer , they can occur at just about any time of the year . cloud - to - ground lightning cloud - to - ground lightning frequently occurs within the phenomena of thunderstorms and have numerous hazards towards landscapes and populations . one of the more significant hazards lightning can pose is the wildfires they are capable of igniting . under a regime of low precipitation ( lp ) thunderstorms , where little precipitation is present , rainfall cannot prevent fires from starting when vegetation is dry as lightning produces a concentrated amount of extreme heat . direct damage caused by lightning strikes occurs on occasion . in areas with a high frequency for cloud - to - ground lightning , like florida , lightning causes several fatalities per year , most commonly to people working outside . precipitation with low potential of hydrogen levels ( ph ) , otherwise known as acid rain , is also a frequent risk produced by lightning . distilled water , which contains no carbon dioxide , has a neutral ph of 7 . liquids with a ph less than 7 are acidic , and those with a ph greater than 7 are basic . “ clean ” or unpolluted rain has a slightly acidic ph of about 5 . 2 , because carbon dioxide and water in the air react together to form carbonic acid , a weak acid ( ph 5 . 6 in distilled water ) , but unpolluted rain also contains other chemicals . nitric oxide present during thunderstorm phenomena , caused by the splitting of nitrogen molecules , can result in the production of acid rain , if nitric oxide forms compounds with the water molecules in precipitation , thus creating acid rain . acid rain can damage infrastructures containing calcite or other solid chemical compounds containing carbon . in ecosystems , acid rain can dissolve plant tissues of vegetations and increase acidification process in bodies of water and in soil , resulting in deaths of marine and terrestrial organisms . hail any thunderstorm that produces hail that reaches the ground is known as a hailstorm . that are capable of producing hailstones are often seen obtaining green coloration . hail is more common along mountain ranges because mountains force horizontal winds upwards ( known as orographic lifting ) , thereby intensifying the updrafts within thunderstorms and making hail more likely . one of the more common regions for large hail is across mountainous northern india , which reported one of the highest hail - related death tolls on record in 1888 . china also experiences significant hailstorms . across europe , croatia experiences frequent occurrences of hail . in north america , hail is most common in the area where colorado , nebraska , and wyoming meet , known as " hail alley . " hail in this region occurs between the months of march and october during the afternoon and evening hours , with the bulk of the occurrences from may through september . cheyenne , wyoming is north america 's most hail - prone city with an average of nine to ten hailstorms per season . in south america , areas prone to hail are cities like bogotá , colombia . hail can cause serious damage , notably to automobiles , aircraft , skylights , glass - roofed structures , livestock , and most commonly , farmers ' crops . hail is one of the most significant thunderstorm hazards to aircraft . when hail stones exceed 0 . 5 inch ( 13 mm ) in diameter , planes can be seriously damaged within seconds . the hailstones accumulating on the ground can also be hazardous to landing aircraft . wheat , corn , soybeans , and tobacco are the most sensitive crops to hail damage . hail is one of canada 's most costly hazards . hailstorms have been the cause of costly and deadly events throughout history . one of the earliest recorded incidents occurred around the 9th century in roopkund , uttarakhand , india . the largest hailstone in terms of maximum circumference and length ever recorded in the united states fell in 2003 in aurora , nebraska , united states . tornadoes and waterspouts a tornado is a violent , rotating column of air in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud ( otherwise known as a thundercloud ) or , in rare cases , the base of a cumulus cloud . tornadoes come in many sizes but are typically in the form of a visible condensation funnel , whose narrow end touches the earth and is often encircled by a cloud of debris and dust . most tornadoes have wind speeds between 40 and 110 mph ( 64 and 177 km / h ) , are approximately 250 feet ( 76 m ) across , and travel a few miles ( several kilometers ) before dissipating . some attain wind speeds of more than 300 mph ( 480 km / h ) , stretch more than one mile ( 1 . 6 km ) across , and stay on the ground for dozens of miles ( more than 100 km ) . the fujita scale and the enhanced fujita scale rate tornadoes by damage caused . an ef0 tornado , the weakest category , damages trees but not substantial structures . an ef5 tornado , the strongest category , rips buildings off their foundations and can deform large skyscrapers . the similar torro scale ranges from a t0 for extremely weak tornadoes to t11 for the most powerful known tornadoes . doppler radar data , photogrammetry , and ground swirl patterns ( cycloidal marks ) may also be analyzed to determine intensity and award a rating . waterspouts have similar characteristics as tornadoes , characterized by a spiraling funnel - shaped wind current that form over bodies of water , connecting to large cumulonimbus clouds . waterspouts are generally classified as forms of tornadoes , or more specifically , non - tornadoes that develop over large bodies of water . these spiralling columns of air are frequently developed within tropical areas close to the equator , but are less common within areas of high latitude . flash flood flash flooding is the process where a landscape , most notably an urban environment , is subjected to rapid floods . these rapid floods occur more quickly and are more localized than seasonal river flooding or areal flooding and are frequently ( though not always ) associated with intense rainfall . flash flooding can frequently occur in slow - moving thunderstorms and is usually caused by the heavy liquid precipitation that accompanies it . flash floods are most common in densely populated urban environments , where few plants and bodies of water are present to absorb and contain the extra water . flash flooding can be hazardous to small infrastructure , such as bridges , and weakly constructed buildings . plants and crops in agricultural areas can be destroyed and devastated by the force of raging water . automobiles parked within affected areas can also be displaced . soil erosion can occur as well , exposing risks of landslide phenomena . downburst downburst winds can produce numerous hazards to landscapes experiencing thunderstorms . downburst winds are generally very powerful , and are often mistaken for wind speeds produced by tornadoes , due to the concentrated amount of force exerted by their straight - horizontal characteristic . downburst winds can be hazardous to unstable , incomplete , or weakly constructed infrastructures and buildings . agricultural crops , and other plants in nearby environments can be uprooted and damaged . aircraft engaged in takeoff or landing can crash . automobiles can be displaced by the force exerted by downburst winds . downburst winds are usually formed in areas when high pressure air systems of downdrafts begin to sink and displace the air masses below it , due to their higher density . when these downdrafts reach the surface , they spread out and turn into the destructive straight - horizontal winds . safety precautions most thunderstorms come and go fairly uneventfully ; however , any thunderstorm can become severe , and all thunderstorms , by definition , present the danger of lightning . thunderstorm preparedness and safety refers to taking steps before , during , and after a thunderstorm to minimize injury and damage . preparedness preparedness refers to precautions that should be taken before a thunderstorm . some preparedness takes the form of general readiness ( as a thunderstorm can occur at any time of the day or year ) . preparing a family emergency plan , for example , can save valuable time if a storm arises quickly and unexpectedly . preparing the home by removing dead or rotting limbs and trees , which can be blown over in high winds , can also significantly reduce the risk of property damage and personal injury . the national weather service ( nws ) in the united states recommends several precautions that people should take if thunderstorms are likely to occur : know the names of local counties , cities , and towns , as these are how warnings are described . monitor forecasts and weather conditions and know whether thunderstorms are likely in the area . be alert for natural signs of an approaching storm . cancel or reschedule outdoor events ( to avoid being caught outdoors when a storm hits ) . take action early so you have time to get to a safe place . get inside a substantial building or hard - topped metal vehicle before threatening weather arrives . if you hear thunder , get to the safe place immediately . avoid open areas like hilltops , fields , and beaches , and don 't be or be near the tallest objects in an area when thunderstorms are occurring . don 't shelter under tall or isolated trees during thunderstorms . if in the woods , put as much distance between you and any trees during thunderstorms . if in a group , spread out so that you increase the chances for survivors who could come to the aid of any victims from a lightning strike . safety while safety and preparedness often overlap , “ thunderstorm safety ” generally refers to what people should do during and after a storm . the american red cross recommends that people follow these precautions if a storm is imminent or in progress : take action immediately upon hearing thunder . anyone close enough to the storm to hear thunder can be struck by lightning . avoid electrical appliances , including corded telephones . and wireless telephones are safe to use during a thunderstorm . close and stay away from windows and doors , as glass can become a serious hazard in high wind . do not bathe or shower , as plumbing conducts electricity . if driving , safely exit the roadway , turn on hazard lights , and park . remain in the vehicle and avoid touching metal . the nws stopped recommending the " lightning crouch " in 2008 as it doesn 't provide a significant level of protection and will not significantly lower the risk of being killed or injured from a nearby lightning strike . frequent occurrences thunderstorms occur throughout the world , even in the polar regions , with the greatest frequency in tropical rainforest areas , where they may occur nearly daily . at any given time approximately 2 , 000 thunderstorms are occurring on earth . kampala and in uganda have each been mentioned as the most thunderous places on earth , a claim also made for bogor on java , indonesia and singapore . other cities known for frequent storm activity include darwin , caracas , manila and mumbai . thunderstorms are associated with the various monsoon seasons around the globe , and they populate the rainbands of tropical cyclones . in temperate regions , they are most frequent in spring and summer , although they can occur along or ahead of cold fronts at any time of year . they may also occur within a cooler air mass following the passage of a cold front over a relatively warmer body of water . thunderstorms are rare in polar regions because of cold surface temperatures . some of the most powerful thunderstorms over the united states occur in the midwest and the southern states . these storms can produce large hail and powerful tornadoes . thunderstorms are relatively uncommon along much of the west coast of the united states , but they occur with greater frequency in the inland areas , particularly the sacramento and san joaquin valleys of california . in spring and summer , they occur nearly daily in certain areas of the rocky mountains as part of the north american monsoon regime . in the northeast , storms take on similar characteristics and patterns as the midwest , but with less frequency and severity . during the summer , air - mass thunderstorms are an almost daily occurrence over central and southern parts of florida . types of lightning lightning is an electrical discharge that occurs in a thunderstorm . it can be seen in the form of a bright streak ( or bolt ) from the sky . lightning occurs when an electrical charge is built up within a cloud , due to static electricity generated by supercooled water droplets colliding with ice crystals near the freezing level . when a large enough charge is built up , a large discharge will occur and can be seen as lightning . the temperature of a lightning bolt can be five times hotter than the surface of the sun . although the lightning is extremely hot , the duration is short and 90 % of strike victims survive . contrary to the popular idea that lightning does not strike twice in the same spot , some people have been struck by lightning over three times , and skyscrapers like the empire state building have been struck numerous times in the same storm . the loud bang that is heard is the super heated air around the lightning bolt expanding at the speed of sound . because sound travels much more slowly than light the flash is seen before the bang , although both occur at the same moment . there are several types of lightning : in - cloud lightning is the most common . it is lightning within a cloud and is sometimes called intra - cloud or sheet lightning . cloud to ground lightning is when a bolt of lightning from a cloud strikes the ground . this form poses the greatest threat to life and property . ground to cloud lightning is when a lightning bolt is induced from the ground to the cloud . cloud to cloud lightning is rarely seen and is when a bolt of lightning arcs from one cloud to another . ball lightning is extremely rare and has several hypothesized explanations . it is seen in the form of a 15 to 50 centimeter radius ball . cloud to air lightning is when lightning from a cloud hits air of a different charge . dry lightning is a misnomer that refers to a thunderstorm whose precipitation does not reach the ground . heat lightning refers to a lightning flash that is seen from the horizon that does not have accompanying thunder . upper - atmospheric lightning occurs above the . clear - air lightning is used widely to describe lightning that occurs with no apparent cloud close enough to have produced it . in the u.s. and canadian rockies , a thunderstorm can be in an adjacent valley and not be observable , ( either visually or audibly ) , from the valley where the lightning bolt strikes . european and asian mountainous areas experience similar events . also in clear areas where the storm cell is on the near horizon ( within 26 km ( 16 mi ) a strike can occur , and as the storm is so far away , the strike is referred to as clear - air . energy if the quantity of water that is condensed in and subsequently precipitated from a cloud is known , then the total energy of a thunderstorm can be calculated . in a typical thunderstorm , approximately 5 × 108 kg of water vapor are lifted , and the amount of energy released when this condenses is 1015 joules . this is on the same order of magnitude of energy released within a tropical cyclone , and more energy than that released during the atomic bomb blast at hiroshima , japan in 1945 . the fermi gamma - ray burst monitor results show that gamma rays and antimatter particles ( positrons ) can be generated in powerful thunderstorms . it is suggested that the antimatter positrons are formed in terrestrial gamma - ray flashes ( tgf ) . are brief bursts occurring inside thunderstorms and associated with lightning . the streams of positrons and electrons collide higher in the atmosphere to generate more gamma rays . about 500 may occur every day worldwide , but mostly go undetected . studies in more contemporary times , thunderstorms have taken on the role of a scientific curiosity . every spring , storm chasers head to the great plains of the united states and the canadian prairies to explore the scientific aspects of storms and tornadoes through use of videotaping . radio pulses produced by cosmic rays are being used to study how electric charges develop within thunderstorms . more organized meteorological projects such as use an array of sensors , such as the doppler on wheels , vehicles with mounted automated weather stations , weather balloons , and unmanned aircraft to investigate thunderstorms expected to produce severe weather . lightning is detected remotely using sensors that detect cloud - to - ground lightning strokes with 95 percent accuracy in detection and within 250 metres ( 820 ft ) of their point of origin . mythology and religion thunderstorms strongly influenced many early civilizations . greeks believed that they were battles waged by zeus , who hurled lightning bolts forged by hephaestus . some american indian tribes associated thunderstorms with the thunderbird , who they believed was a servant of the great spirit . the norse considered thunderstorms to occur when thor went to fight , with the thunder and lightning being the effect of his strikes with the hammer mjölnir . hinduism recognizes indra as the god of rain and thunderstorms . christian doctrine accepted the ideas of aristotle 's original work , called meteorologica , that winds were caused by exhalations from the earth and that fierce storms were the work of god . these ideas were still within the mainstream as late as the 18th century . martin luther was out walking when a thunderstorm began , causing him to pray to god for being saved and promising to become a monk . outside of earth the clouds of venus are capable of producing lightning much like the clouds on earth . the lightning rate is at least half of that on earth . a thin layer of water clouds appears to underlie the ammonia layer within jupiter 's atmosphere , where thunderstorms evidenced by flashes of lightning have been detected . ( water is a polar molecule that can carry a charge , so it is capable of creating the charge separation needed to produce lightning . ) these electrical discharges can be up to a thousand times as powerful as lightning on the earth . the water clouds can form thunderstorms driven by the heat rising from the interior .