Thunderstorms 1

     During warm weather, huge storm clouds are formed very quickly. The clouds of this kind are full of water and fast moving air currents. These can store powerful electricity to make lightning and thunder.

1. How are the cumulonimbus clouds formed?
     In the hot damp weather, there are lots of tiny invisible droplets, which rise very fast. When these invisible droplets hit the colder air above, they make tall, piled up clouds called cumulonimbus clouds. In this way, the cumulonimbus clouds are formed.

2. Why does the lightning zigzag?
     The lightning zigzags through the air, as it finds the easiest path from the cloud to the ground.

3. How is strong electric charge built inside a cloud?
     Inside the clouds, the water droplets and ice crystals rub together in the swirling air. This rubbing of ice crystals and water droplets cause them to build up a strong electric charge. Some have a negative charge (-) and some have a positive charge (+). The negative charge gets accumulated at the bottom of the cloud, making a huge difference between the cloud and the ground, which has a positive charge.
                   Lightning

4. How does lightning travel when it strikes?
     When lightning strikes, it travels first downwards and then upwards. The first stroke called the leader stroke is invisible. It jumps from the cloud to the ground. This creates a path for the main stroke, which sparks from the ground back up to the cloud.