Thunderstorm Simple Coloring Pages

Lightning travels at approximately 270,000 miles per hour, making it one of the fastest phenomena in nature. This incredible speed is why you see lightning almost instantly, but sound travels much slower. Thunder reaches you several seconds later because sound moves at only about 1,100 feet per second.

Thunder is the sound produced when lightning heats the air around it to temperatures hotter than the surface of the sun. This extreme heat causes the air to expand so rapidly that it creates a shock wave, producing the loud boom we hear. The closer you are to lightning, the louder and more startling the thunder.

Lightning forms when electrical charges build up between clouds and the ground. Within thunderstorm clouds, ice crystals and water droplets collide, creating negative and positive electrical charges. When the charge becomes strong enough, electricity suddenly jumps between the cloud and ground, creating the bright flash we see.

Lightning cannot be predicted with certainty, but certain objects are more likely to be struck. Tall structures, metal objects, and isolated trees attract lightning. During storms, stay indoors and away from windows. If caught outside with no shelter, crouch low in an open area rather than standing tall or hiding under trees.

A lightning bolt reaches temperatures around 54,000 degrees Fahrenheit, which is nearly five times hotter than the surface of the sun. This extreme heat causes the bright white light and the rapid expansion of air that creates thunder. It's one reason lightning is so dangerous and why lightning-struck objects often catch fire.

Most individual thunderstorms last about 30 minutes to an hour. Some storms move quickly across an area in just 15 minutes, while severe thunderstorms can persist for several hours. A region might experience thunderstorms for several hours if multiple storm cells move through, even if each individual cell is brief.