9781422272497

larger than three-quarters of an inch (1.9 cm), or one that spins off a tornado or tornadoes. In fact, lots of damaging weather can accompany a thunderstorm, including hail, tornadoes, floods, and damaging winds. Hail and wind create lots of property damage each year. Lightning occurs with all thunderstorms, and most strikes do go from cloud to cloud, but many strikes are cloud to ground. The phrase “bolt from the blue” describes a flash of lightning that travels from cloud to ground as the lightning comes from the side of the thunderstorm cloud. These bolts can travel very large distances and then angle down to strike the ground, appearing from a clear blue sky. What creates lightning? Rising and descending air within a thunderstorm separate the positive and negative charges. Furthermore, ice and water particles in the storm affect how the

Watch this incredible time lapsed footage of lightning strikes!

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Storm Events

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