Interesting facts about Thunderstorms

11:54am Monday 12th May 2008

Thunderstorms are extremely fascinating events, especially when they occur overnight. At any time of day there are about 2000 thunderstorms across our globe releasing tremendous energy, it fixes nitrogen in the air which is then washed into the ground by the rains. This is why the grass and plant life looks greener and fresher after a thundery spell. Coppery tints to the cloud edges are visible before and during thundery weather, especially early morning and through the eventide. Positive charges build at the top of the cloud, negative charges at the base with positive charges at ground level.

Lightning starts when energy sparks from the base of the cloud to the positive charged ground, followed by a vivid flash which is called the return stroke, that is what our eye picks up as fork lightning.The air along that track heats up to 30,000 c and expands, it is this which causes the sound wave we know as thunder. Around such storms the air is sucked in from all directions like a giant hoover, the down draft from one storm encourages warm moist air to rise close to the parent storm, creating another storm cell, and so on, we then end up with a cluster of thunderstorms in any one area. Thunderstorms rarely last longer than 30 minutes before they decay.Next Week......Hot Summer Spells.The answer to last weeks question: Warm humid thundery weather.This weeks question:

The air along the lightning track heats up to:

A/ 65,000 c.

B/ 30,000 c. Good Luck.Glossary:

Convection Cell: A region within a body of liquid or gas in which convection is taking place, with warm fluid rising, cooling and descending again. Large scale convection cells produce tropical climates.Weather for coming week Monday 12th May-Friday 16th MayHigh pressure prevailing through much of the week bringing fine warm weather from off the near continent.Risk that low pressure to the south by Thursday may usher in some local thunderstorms otherwise dry.Maximum temperature 20-22c 68-72f but 26c 79f on Monday and 24c 75f on Tuesday.Minimum temperature 10-13c 50-55f.Last Week's Observations (Monday-Sunday).Highest day temperature...........27.3c 81f on Sunday 11th May.Lowest night temperature...........6.4c 43f on Monday 5th May.Wettest day..............................1.5 mm on Friday 9th May.

Editor's choice