If spectacular thunderstorms take your breath away, researchers say they know why. A new study confirms that thunderstorms are linked to outbreaks of asthma, and researchers suggest that the storms' airflow patterns are to blame rather than other contenders such as thunder, electrical activity, or rain.
Thunderstorms concentrate allergens and trigger asthma attacks, researchers say.
NAOO Asthma sufferers often report that changes in weather exacerbate their symptoms. To test the link, Marks's research group studied the correlation between hospital admission rates for asthma and airflow patterns for six towns in southeastern Australia between 1995 and 1998. The researchers selected days marked by many more complaints of asthma attacks than usual and asked meteorologists for information on thunderstorm outflows, downdrafts of cold air containing high concentrations of particles.