From similarity and differences of morphological, biochemical, cellular characteristics, biologist have constructed 'phylogenetic (evolutionary) trees' (who is most closely related to who, analogous to a family tree)
In the United States, lightning routinely kills more people each year than tornadoes or hurricanes. Tornadoes, hail, and wind gusts get the most attention, but only lightning can strike outside the storm itself. Lightning is the first thunderstorm hazard to arrive and the last to leave.
According to the US National Weather Service, more people die from floods than lightning, tornadoes, and hurricanes. EC-funded researchers of the Distributed Research Infrastructure for Hydro-Meteorology (DRIHM) use distributed computing and citizen scientists to predict flash floods.