What causes thunder?

Thunder is created when lightning passes through the air. The lightning discharge heats the air rapidly and causes it to expand. The temperature of the air in the lightning channel may reach as high as 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit, 5 times hotter than the surface of the sun.
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What is the real cause of thunder?

The rapid expansion and heating of air caused by lightning produces the accompanying loud clap of thunder.
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What does it mean when thunder is really loud?

Amplified thunder

In a typical ground-based storm, thunder dissipates in all directions, a quick loud boom or rumble. However, in a temperature inversion, the sound becomes trapped and refracts back to the ground. This trapping and refracting can cause the thunder to be amplified, making it sound louder than normal.
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What causes thunder without lightning?

No, it is not possible to have thunder without lightning. Thunder starts as a shockwave from the explosively expanding lightning channel when a large current causes rapid heating. However, it is possible that you might see lightning and not hear the thunder because it was too far away.
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What causes thunder to strike a person?

Most indoor lightning casualties and some outdoor casualties are due to conduction. Whether inside or outside, anyone in contact with anything connected to metal wires, plumbing, or metal surfaces that extend outside is at risk.
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What Causes Thunder?

What happens if thunder hits you?

Note the slight branching redness traveling up the victim's leg from the effects of the current. Common injuries caused by lightning include: muscle pains, broken bones, cardiac arrest, confusion, hearing loss, seizures, burns, behavioral changes, and ocular cataracts.
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How to tell if lightning is about to strike you?

  1. Your hair stands on end (as charges from the ground surge to the top of your head)
  2. You hear a distinctive snapping or crackling sound (small discharges of static electricity may occur in an area where lightning is about to strike)
  3. You experience a tingling sensation (electrical charges may be moving through your body)
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Can I use the toilet during a thunderstorm?

Avoid plumbing: Metal plumbing and the water inside are both very good conductors of electricity. Therefore, do not wash your hands or dishes, take a shower or bath, do laundry, etc. during a thunderstorm.
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Is it safe to stay in a car during a thunderstorm?

Like trees, houses, and people, anything outside is at risk of being struck by lightning when thunderstorms are in the area, including cars. The good news though is that the outer metal shell of hard-topped metal vehicles does provide protection to those inside a vehicle with the windows closed.
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Is it OK to be in the shower during a thunderstorm?

Summary. It is not safe to shower during a thunderstorm. If lightning strikes a building, it may travel through water pipes and increase the risk of electrocution. To lower this risk, people should avoid all water-based activities during a thunderstorm, including bathing and washing the dishes.
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What does it mean when thunder shakes your house?

As the shockwave rushes outward it can run into structures like your house, causing it to rumble or shake. Essentially your house is shaking or rattling from those rapidly heated air molecules hitting it! Cloud to ground lightning is the typical producer of house-rattling thunder.
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What is the loudest thunder ever recorded?

What is the loudest thunderstorm possible? Thunder typically reaches volumes of 165 to 180 decibels, but has been recorded exceeding 200 dB in some cases. On occasion, at close range, the sound of thunder can even damage property.
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How close is lightning if you hear the crack?

Since sound travels 1/5 mile per second, count the seconds between the flash and the sound and add 1/5 mile for each second. For example, a 5-second interval between flash and thunder means the bolt is one mile away. Remember that if thunder can be heard, lightning is not far away and can strike nearby at any time.
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Where does lightning strike the most?

These are distributed over Colombia and Venezuela. Lake Maracaibo is the region with the most lightning in the world, with 233 lightning strikes per km2 per year.
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Is lightning hotter than the sun?

In fact, lightning can heat the air it passes through to 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit (5 times hotter than the surface of the sun). When lightning strikes a tree, the heat vaporizes any water in its path possibly causing the tree to explode or a strip of bark to be blown off.
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Why do we see lightning before we hear thunder?

In nature, a lightning flash and the associated thunder occur at almost the same time in a thunderstorm. A person on the ground sees the lightning flash before hearing the thunder because light at a speed of around 300,000,000 meters per second travels much faster than sound which moves at 340 meters per second.
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Where is the safest place to be in a thunderstorm?

While no place is 100% safe from lightning, some places are much safer than others. The safest location during a thunderstorm is inside a large enclosed structure with plumbing and electrical wiring. These include shopping centers, schools, office buildings, and private residences.
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What should you not do during a thunderstorm?

Unplug appliances, air conditioners, and other electrical items like computers to avoid damage from a power surge. Avoid showering, bathing, washing dishes, or doing laundry. Plumbing and bathroom fixtures can conduct electricity. Avoid contact with metal objects (yard equipment, motorcycles, bicycles, etc.).
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What happens if lightning strikes a plane?

Modern aircraft are designed to withstand many environmental conditions including lightning strikes. While that may be terrifying for flight crew or passengers, millions of volts of electricity generally exit the airplane in a designed fashion. Lightning strikes can rarely cause physical damage to the aircraft.
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Should I unplug my phone during a thunderstorm?

Unplug appliances. Avoid using the telephone or any electrical appliances. If lightning strikes, telephone lines and metal pipes can conduct electricity. Leaving electric lights on, however, does not increase the chances of your home being struck by lightning.
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Is it okay to have your window open during a thunderstorm?

Yes, lightning can strike the inside of your home if you leave a window open. While it's not likely lightning will strike you through an open window, your odds of being struck are higher with open windows than closed windows.
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Are Bluetooth headphones safe during a thunderstorm?

Bluetooth signals are radio waves that are transmitted through the air using electromagnetic radiation, which is a completely different type of energy. Radio waves do not have the ability to attract or generate electricity, so they cannot cause lightning or other electrical phenomena.
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What does it mean when your hair stands up during a storm?

If your hair stands on end, lightning is about to strike you. Move indoors as quickly as possible. 5. When lightning threatens get inside a house, large building, or all-metal vehicle.
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What do you smell before lightning strikes?

The smell is probably ozone, which typically has a sweet, pungent aroma. In stormy weather, lightning splits atmospheric nitrogen and oxygen molecules. These can then combine into nitric oxide, which, with further reactions, forms ozone.
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Is it safe to sit in a car during lightning?

Most cars can protect you - Opens in new window from lightning, but it's the metal roof and sides that keep you safe, not your rubber tires. The metal body and roof direct the electrical charge from the lightning into the ground, but only in hard-top vehicles.
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