When you have finished this page, try the Storms Quiz. Storms fall into several categories. All storms while exciting to view from afar, can be extremely dangerous and destructive. Thunderstorms are the commonest of storms and frequently accompany hurricanes, tornadoes, etc. They are caused by convection currents.
Air is heated and then rises, often pushed upward by heavier, cooler air masses.
As the air rises it cools and expands. The water vapor in the air is cooled and condenses into water droplets. As this goes on for a time, a huge thunderhead cloud is formed piled high into the sky. The activitiy of the air currents flowing upward causes friction and electrical charges form resulting in lightning. The air chills, strong winds form and rain begins to fall as the drops become too heavy to remain aloft.