Thunderstorms require moisture, an air lifting mechanism, and instability to form. They have three stages: cumulus, mature, and dissipating. During the mature stage, rising warm air and falling cold air cause static electricity to build up, resulting in lightning. Lightning is a high-voltage electrical discharge between clouds, air, or clouds and the ground. It can heat the nearby air to 50,000 degrees Celsius and travel at 300,000 m/s. Indoors, one should avoid contact with electrical equipment or plumbing, while outdoors the safest shelters are enclosed buildings or hard-top vehicles.

1. THUNDERSTORM AND
LIGHTNING
Department of
Disaster Science and Management
Faculty of
Earth and Environmental Sciences
University of Dhaka
July 2014

2. Course No. : DSMHT-203
Course name: Climatic Hazards & Climate Change
Submitted to
Taslima Imam
Meteorologist
Submitted by-
Mirza Shihab Uddin Antor FH -001
Md.Raisul Islam Shamrat SH-008
S.M Mahmudul Islam Tamal FH-020
Muhammad Abu Sayed SH-023
Md. Syadur Rahman SH-027
Sarker Md. Nokibul Hasan SH-030

3. Thunderstorm
A thunderstorm ,also known as an electrical
storm ,a lightning storm ,or a thunder shower,
is a type of storm, characterized by the
presence of lightning and it’s acoustic effect
on the Earth’s atmosphere known as thunder.
The meteorologically assigned cloud type
associated with the thunderstorm is the
cumulonimbus.
Cluster of clouds producing heavy rain,
lightning, thunder, hail or tornados
Thunder is actually the shockwave ,the
sound, made after lightning strikes

4. Thunderstorm Requirements
All thunderstorm require three ingredient
for their formation:
I. Source of moisture
II. Air lifting mechanism
III. Instability.

5. Life cycle of a thunderstorm
A thunderstorm has three stage such as:
A. Cumulus Stage
B. Mature Stage
C. Dissipation Stage

6. Cumulus Stage
 There is no lighting or
chance of tornado
formation during this
stage.
 Heat from condensing
water vapor in the cloud
helps to fuel expanding
and rising air.
 The upward-moving air in
this stage can approach
speeds of 160 km/hr

7. Mature Stage
As the warm moist air mass rises, the
water vapor cools.
The water vapor condenses, (which
releases more heat) saturates the
cloud and produces torrential rains.
The falling rain pushes and pulls air
downward with it, and the storm
develops regions of fast moving
downdrafts.
Simultaneously, rising warm air and
falling colder air, causes large
amounts of static electricity to be
generated.

8. Mature Stage(con’t)
Large, mature
thunderstorms can…
Produce precipitation at
astonishing rates, up to
36cm/hr. This causes local
flooding.
Create hailstones as large
as grapefruits!
Generate tremendous
electrical power and intense
lightning.
Produce tornadoes with
devastating swirling winds

9. Dissipating Stage
 Downbursts of high speed wind
may occur.
 All air within the storm has
become cooler than the air
outside of the storm.
 If deprived of its energy source
of warm, moist air, the storm
soon splits into a series of
disorganized layers of
clouds…and
 the storm is finished….

10. Types of Thunderstorm
There are three types:
1. Composed of cells
 Ordinary - short lived and small
 Super – large ,last for hours
2. Single cell
3. Multi cell

11. Lightning
 Lightning is a dazzling bluish white light produce by
clouds. It is usually accompanied by thunder.
 Lightning a Gigantic Electrical Spark Traveling
between Cloud to Cloud or Cloud to Earth Containing
an average charge of 30 to 50 lakhs Volts and a
current of 30 Kilo amperes with a speed of 220 km
per hour.
 Till 1752, nobody knew about the cause of lightning.
It was Benjamin Franklin who prove that lightning is
cause by static electric charges in the cloud.
 When the clouds fill up with electric charges the
positive charges or protons from at the top of the
cloud and negative charges from at the bottom ,it
causes lightning .

12. How does lightning occur?
There have been many theories of occurring
lightning :
Polarization Mechanism Theory: As ice falls
through the Earth’s atmosphere , they
become electrically polarized.
Electrostatic Induction Theory: Two opposing
charges get separated. The electricity gets
stored in the middle of a cumulonimbus
cloud. There the electricity collides with rain.
The Discharge Theory: Electricity is made
when there’s enough positive & negative
energy together .

14. Types of Lightning
 Intra-cloud lightning: Lightning happening inside a cloud.
 Cloud to Ground Lightning: Lightning that hits the Earth from
a cloud.
 Bead Lightning: A brighter version of cloud to ground
lightning.
 Cloud to Cloud Lightning: Lightning that goes from one cloud
to another.(RARE)
 Ball Lightning: Lightning that comes in the shape of a ball in a
thunderstorm

15. Lightning Facts
Globally 44,000 thunderstorms/day and 100
lightning strokes /sec
Duration of one stroke of lightning, 1/5 th of
second.
Strike the Earth 50 to 100 times per second.
Voltages 1,00,000 kV and peak current 30 kA.
Total energy released 40 GJ.
Temperatures rises 50,000 degrees Celsius
Lightning can travel at speeds of 300,000 m/sec
Lightning heats nearby air to about 10,000 °C.

16. Key Facts to Know
• Outdoors is the most dangerous
place to be during a lightning
storm
• All thunderstorms produce
lightning and are dangerous
• If you hear thunder you are in
danger
• Look for dark cloud bases and
increasing winds
• Blue skies and lightning: Lightning
can travel up to 10 miles sideways
– At least 10% of lightning occurs
without visible clouds overhead in the
sky

17. Indoor Safety Rules
• Three main ways lightning enters a structure
– A direct strike
– Through wires or pipes that extend outside the structure
– Through the ground
• Lightning Safety tips for Inside the Home
– Avoid contact with corded phones
• Leading cause of indoor lightning injuries
– Avoid contact with electrical equipment or cords
– Avoid contact with plumbing
• Do not take a bath, shower, or wash dishes
– Stay away from windows and doors, and stay off porches

18. Outdoor Safety Rules
If you are outdoors when a thunderstorm threatens go as
quickly as you can to a safe shelter
• What constitutes as a safe shelter
– Safe buildings are buildings that are fully enclosed with
a roof, walls, and floor.
• They are considered safe because they have wiring and
plumbing
– Safe vehicles are those with hard tops.
• Make sure all doors are closed and windows rolled up and do
not touch any metal surfaces
– Large Boats with Cabins
• Best policy is if you are on the water and a storm is approaching
is to get out of the water

19. Outdoor Safety Rules
The question begs to be asked: What do if
there is no safe shelter nearby to go to.
• Move away from tall trees
• Keep away from metal objects and fences
• If you are in a group spread out with at least
15 ft between you so that there is someone
to assist the struck victim.
• If you feel your hair rising or your skin feel
prickly you are about to be struck so assume
the crouching position shown
– This position where the heels are touching
encourages the lighting to return to ground
without going through your whole body
– Protect your ears from the resulting thunder
by covering them with your hands

20. Fatalities and Death of Lightning
Lightning Fatalities By Gender:
Based on 261 cases from 2006 to 2013 –
81% male and 19% female.
Lightning Death by Activity:
12 activities contributing most to lightning death from 2006 to 2013-
Fishing 30% Camping 16% Farming 14% Cycling 11%
Yard work 8%
Boating 14% Soccer 12% Beach 13% Golf 8%
Social gathering 10% To/From home 9% To/From car 8%
Not surprisingly, June, July and August are the deadliest month
for lightning .Actually for 70% of lightning death from 2006 to
2013

21. Difference between Lightning and
Thunderstorm
 Thunder travels in sound waves and lightning travels in
light waves.
 Different energy type.
 They travel at the same time, but lightning comes first since
light travels faster.

22. Any Question
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