How Do Thunderstorms Form?

9/1/2020 (Permalink)

How Do Thunderstorms Form?

There are certain conditions that are necessary for a storm to develop. There must be moisture and rising unstable air, as well as a “lifting” mechanism that forces air to rise, or where warm/cold or wet/dry air bump together, causing a rising motion.

A thunderstorm’s life cycle takes three distinct stages: the developing stage, the mature stage and the dissipating stage. The mature stage is where you’ll find hail, heavy rain, strong winds, and even tornadoes occurring.

There are a estimated 16 million thunderstorms annually throughout the world. In the United States, the number of thunderstorms typically comes to approximately 100,000 per year—10% of those are considered severe.

Various Types of Damage

There are plenty of parts of a thunderstorm that can prove to be dangerous, but one of the most serious risks is the opportunity for winds to send debris flying. Wind speeds during severe thunderstorms can reach over 57 mph. This is more than enough speed to create chaos and damage to your property.

When there are strong winds, there is always a chance for non-threatening items to turn into a serious threat in projectile mode. Take some time to check on and secure items in your yard before any thunderstorms come rolling into town.These items can include tree branches, gravel, mailboxes, fencing, lawn furniture, potted plants and garbage cans.