Unusual Weather

Thunder & Lightning
Cumulonimbus clouds (nicknamed 'thunderheads') form any time when the temperature high up falls rapidly. They are full of moisture with strong currents moving up and down. The lightning is electricity and forms in the strong currents as thet water droplets collide with each other. The electrical charge builds up and separates into positive in the middle and at the top and negative at the base of the cloud. At the same time, the positive charge is building on the ground and once there is a difference, the charge passes from the cloud to the ground or from one part of the cloud to another.

Lightning bolts are 30,000 to 50,000°F so very hot! When the bolt strikes it heats the air around it rapidly and creates a shock wave that we hear as thunder.

Hurricane
A severe tropical cyclone usually with heavy rains and winds moving a 73-136 knots (12 on the Beaufort scale). A low pressure system forming in the Tropics. It performs an important job as it moves heat from the equatorial areas to the higher latitudes but it can be very destructive.

Tornado
A violent windstorm that is accompanied by a twisting funnel-shaped cloud. America has the most tornadoes and even has an area in the Midwest called 'Tornado Alley' which is known for its tornadoes.