Lightning can strike people and buildings and is very dangerous. Thunderstorms affect small areas when compared with hurricanes and winter storms. The typical thunderstorm is 15 miles in diameter and lasts an average of 30 minutes. Nearly 1,800 thunderstorms are happening at any moment around the world. Despite their small size, all thunderstorms are dangerous.
Every thunderstorm produces lightning, which kills more people each year than tornadoes.
Heavy rain from thunderstorms can lead to . Strong winds, hail, and tornadoes are also dangers associated with some thunderstorms. You can estimate how many miles away a storm is by counting the number of seconds between the flash of lightning and the clap of thunder. Divide the number of seconds by five to get the distance in miles. The lightning is seen before the thunder is heard because light travels faster than sound .