Dear Tom,Peals of thunder have always fascinated me. Some are brief, like a sudden crash. Sometimes thunder rolls and rumbles for 10 or 20 seconds. What causes the difference?John Hannessey, Rockfo… ...

Thunder is simply the sound created by a bolt of lightning. When lightning occurs, it's about 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit. That heats the surrounding air causing it to violently and rapidly expand.

What causes thunder and lightning? According to the Met Office, ... Thunder is actually the sound caused by the lightning so by definition you can't have one without the other.

Rolling thunder takes advantage of an inversion, or layer of warm air between a layer of cooler air to trap sound. Typically, temperatures fall as you travel from the ground to the atmosphere.

Thunder and lightning are summer staples, but they can happen all year round. Here's a quick science lesson on how thunder, lightning and storms form.

Thunder and lightning are summer staples, but they can happen all year round. Here's a quick science lesson on how thunder, lightning and storms form.

Thunder and lightning are summer staples, but they can happen all year round. Here's a quick science lesson on how thunder, lightning and storms form.

What causes sonic booms? ... is traveling faster than the speed of sound. Sonic booms can sound as loud as an explosion or, more quietly, like a rumble of thunder.

Thunder is actually the sound caused by the lightning so by definition you can't have one without the other. Depending on the distance, the sound can be a short violent crack or a slow, low ...

The reason you hear the noise of thunder so long after you see the lightning is that sound travels more slowly than light. How do thunderstorms form? According to the Met Office, “thunderstorms ...