Thunderstorms

Thunderstorms are defined in terms of their electrical manifestations which in fact are a product of the storm itself. The development of a thunderstorm is a continuous process but there are three recognizable stages through which the storm goes ((Hidore).

The first stage is the cumulus stage. During this stage cumulus clouds become larger and taller. There is a general updraft throughout the cloud formation and condensation in the form of water particles. The updrafts are strongest toward the top of the cloud, whether velocities may be as high as 100 ft. per second (over 60 mph) (Hidore). Temperatures within the cloud are usually higher for a given altitude than in the surrounding air.

The second stage occurs only if instability results at heights reached by the rising air column. The most intense storm activity exists in this stage. At this point rapid condensation takes place and precipitation begins within the cloud and subsequently may reach the ground. Precipitation may take place as high as 25,000 feet in a strong cell (Schaefer and Day).

The strongest updrafts and downdrafts are associated with the second or mature stage of the thunderstorm. It is during this stage th

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irst covers a very small area then spreads out in all directions. The cold downdrafts can spread outward without carrying moisture with them, as the precipitation falls nearly vertically and is not carried outward by the wind. The average length of time that it rains at a point on the ground is about 25 minutes. The most intensive rainfall occurs shortly after the rain begins, usually within two or three minutes, and then begins to slacken gradually (Hidore). Dry thunderstorms occur in arid and semi-arid regions. These are called dry thunderstorms as there is not enough precipitation for them to reach the ground. This type of storm is a hazard in the areas in which it occurs as it is often accompanied by cloud-to-ground lightning, which causes forest fires yet yields no rain with which to put them out (Hidore). Hailstorms occur when the water freezes going up in the thunderstorm, growing as it collides with supercooled water drops, falling, being caught, and finally getting into a downdraft where it and other hailstones fall from cloud to ground. The average size hailstone is marble-sized; in the more severe storms the stones are the size of golf balls. Excessively severe storms generate some stones the size of baseball
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Approximate Word count = 1333
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)

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