Trystan Casey
An electrical storm, also known as a lightning storm or thunderstorm, is a weather phenomenon characterised by lightning and thunder. They can occur in any climate but are most common in tropical rainforest areas, where they may happen daily. Electrical storms can cause power outages, fires, damage to buildings, falling debris, and injury or death to people and animals. They can also produce strong winds, heavy rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or lightning storm, is a weather phenomenon characterised by the occurrence of lightning and thunder. |
| Occurrence | Electrical storms occur throughout the world, even in the polar regions, with the greatest frequency in tropical rainforest areas. At any given time, approximately 2,000 thunderstorms are occurring on Earth. |
| Formation | Electrical storms are formed in cumulonimbus clouds, which are made up of billions of dust-borne water molecules and ice crystals that move faster and faster as they rub together. As the water molecules collide, electrons are knocked off, creating a charge separation. |
| Types of Lightning | Intracloud, Intercloud, Cloud-to-ground, Cloud-to-cloud, and Cloud-to-air. |
| Effects | Power outages, fires, damage to buildings, falling debris, and injury or death to people and animals. |
| Safety Measures | Do not bathe or shower during an electrical storm as plumbing conducts electricity. If driving, safely exit the roadway, turn on hazard lights, and park. Remain in the vehicle and avoid touching metal. |
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What You'll Learn
Lightning and thunder
An electrical storm, also known as a thunderstorm, is characterised by lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Thunderstorms can occur anywhere in the world, even in polar regions, although they are most frequent in tropical rainforest areas. Kampala and Tororo in Uganda are among the most thunderous places on Earth, along with Singapore and Bogor on the Indonesian island of Java.
Lightning is a discharge of electricity. A single lightning strike can heat the air around it to 30,000°C (54,000°F) – five times hotter than the surface of the Sun. This extreme heating causes the air to expand explosively, creating a shock wave that turns into a booming sound wave, known as thunder.
Thunder is the sound caused by a nearby flash of lightning and can be heard for a distance of about 10 miles from the lightning strike. You see lightning before you hear thunder because light travels much faster than sound. The time between the flash of lightning and the sound of thunder can be used to estimate the distance of the lightning: it takes approximately five seconds for the sound to travel one mile. If the thunder follows the lightning almost instantly, the lightning is too close for comfort.
Cloud-to-cloud lightning is the most frequently occurring type of lightning flash. In these flashes, the lightning strike travels either within the cloud or from one cloud to another. Cloud-to-ground lightning (also known as CG lightning) is less common but can be more dangerous and even deadly.
Electrical storms can cause power outages, fires, damage to buildings, falling debris, and injury or death to people and animals. They are most likely to happen during hot and humid summer months and can occur in any climate.
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Power outages
Electrical storms are characterised by lightning and thunder, and they can cause power outages, which can affect both above-ground and underground power lines. Power outages can occur when lightning strikes power lines, causing voltage spikes and power surges that can damage electronic devices and appliances. Lightning strikes can also cause fires or completely destroy electrical equipment. In addition, storms can bring strong winds that cause trees or branches to fall onto power lines, resulting in power outages.
To protect against power surges during storms, it is advisable to install surge protectors or uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems. While candles are often used during power outages, it is safer to use battery-powered lights or a generator.
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Fires
Electrical storms can cause fires, which can be extremely dangerous and cause damage to buildings and injuries or death to people and animals. Lightning strikes can cause power surges, which can damage electrical equipment and appliances. If lightning strikes trees, they may catch fire and fall onto power lines, causing power outages and potentially sparking electrical fires.
Lightning is responsible for many fires around the world each year, including forest fires. In fact, forest fires can also cause lightning strikes. For example, the late 1990s Mexican forest fires resulted in unusual lightning activity in the USA High Plains area.
To prevent electrical fires, it is important to be cautious during storms. Avoid using electrical appliances and unplug devices before a storm arrives. It is also important to install surge protectors to protect against power surges caused by lightning strikes.
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Cloud formation
Storm clouds are made up of billions of dust-borne water molecules and ice crystals. As the storm develops, these molecules and crystals begin to move faster and faster, rubbing together and colliding. This movement causes electrons to be knocked off, creating a charge separation. The electrons fall to the lower portion of the cloud, giving it a negative charge. As a result, clouds become charged like giant batteries in the sky, with the upper portion of the cloud becoming more positively charged and the lower portion more negatively charged.
The main charging area of a thunderstorm occurs in the central part of the storm, where air is moving upward rapidly (updraft) and temperatures are extremely cold, ranging from −15 to −25 °C. This updraft carries the positively charged ice crystals upward toward the top of the storm cloud. The larger and denser graupel (soft hail) is either suspended in the middle of the thunderstorm cloud or falls toward the lower part of the storm. The result is that the upper part of the thunderstorm cloud becomes positively charged, while the middle to the lower part of the thunderstorm cloud becomes negatively charged.
As a thundercloud moves over the Earth's surface, an equal electric charge, but of opposite polarity, is induced on the Earth's surface underneath the cloud. The negative charge in the cloud repels negative charges on the ground underneath the storm, causing the Earth's surface to become positively charged. This charge separation increases as the centre of the storm arrives and drops off as the thundercloud passes. The greater the accumulated charge, the higher the resulting electrical field.
As the differences in charges become too great, the insulating capacity of the air breaks down, and there is a rapid discharge of electricity—lightning. The most common type of lightning is cloud-to-ground lightning, which can strike where it's not raining, or even before rain reaches the ground. It can also strike upward from the ground, typically triggered by very tall structures, rockets, or towers.
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Safety
An electrical storm, also known as a thunderstorm or lightning storm, is characterised by lightning and thunder. They can cause power outages, fires, damage to buildings, falling debris, and injury or death to people and animals. To stay safe during an electrical storm, consider the following:
Before the Storm
- Pay attention to local weather reports and recommendations. A tornado or severe storm watch means conditions are favourable for those weather conditions, whereas a warning means dangerous weather conditions are imminent.
- Prepare a storm safety kit, including essentials such as water, battery-operated flashlights, and radios. Keep a list of emergency phone numbers, including the electric utility.
- If you have a permanent standby generator, ensure it is professionally installed with a transfer switch to prevent electricity from escaping.
During the Storm
- Seek shelter immediately when you hear thunder. Lightning can travel up to ten miles away from a storm, so do not take any risks.
- If you are caught in an open area, crouch down in a ball-like position with your head tucked and hands over your ears. Minimize your contact with the ground and avoid lying flat.
- Stay away from trees, metal objects, and bodies of water. Lightning strikes the tallest available object, so it is crucial to get low.
- If you are driving, safely exit the roadway, turn on hazard lights, and park. Remain in the vehicle and avoid touching metal.
- Do not bathe, shower, wash dishes, or have any contact with water or plumbing during the storm, as lightning can travel through plumbing.
- Unplug large electronics and appliances to prevent overloading circuits and damaging appliances if the power goes out.
After the Storm
- Do not return home until instructed by local authorities. Return during daylight hours, especially if power has not been restored.
- If you encounter downed power lines, stay away, and warn others. Contact emergency personnel or the electric utility.
- Before re-entering storm-damaged buildings, ensure all electric and gas services are turned off.
- If you smell gas, leave the premises immediately and notify emergency authorities.
- If you see someone who has been struck by lightning, call 911. It is safe to touch them, as they do not carry an electrical charge. Provide first aid while waiting for professional medical attention.
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Frequently asked questions
An electrical storm, also known as a thunderstorm, is a weather phenomenon characterised by lightning and thunder. They are most likely to occur during hot and humid summer months and can happen in any climate.
Lightning is a transient, high-current electric discharge with pathlengths measured in kilometres. It can occur within a cloud (intracloud lightning), between clouds (intercloud lightning), or between a cloud and the Earth (cloud-to-ground lightning).
The colours yellow, orange, and red are used to indicate the likelihood of an electrical storm occurring. Yellow means it is likely to occur in 6 hours, orange means it will occur within 2 hours, and red means it will occur within 2 hours with a high likelihood of causing disasters or accidents.
![The Final Storm [dt./OV]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81sHyTyp6PL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
