But it would certainly enable them to hear sounds associated with rain. Thunderstorms are sources of very loud infrasound and could be heard by elephants long before they are audible to humans. Turbulence produced by rapidly moving columns of air also generates low-frequency sounds. It is thought that soaring birds, which are able to hear sounds well below the human threshold, may be able to find pockets of rising air by homing in on the infrasound they generate. Air turbulence may also be associated with rain clouds.
Elephants can produce infrasound.
Because it carries over long distances they use it to communicate with distant members of the herd.