Strong upper winds in the stratosphere smooth and spread the top of the cloud. This make the cloud look like the top of a mushroom or an anvil. The ice crystals in the anvil cloud give it a fuzzy look. As a thunderstorm grows, water drops or ice crystals inside the cloud hit and mix with each other, getting bigger. The bottom of the cloud grows dark with water about to fall. When the drops become so heavy that the winds inside the cloud cannot keep them up any more, they fall from the cloud as rain or hail. Even as they fall the water drops grow by mixing with the smaller drops, and makes big raindrops. Hail becomes bigger inside the cloud. One thunderstorm cloud usually runs out of energy in about 30 to 50 minutes. But supercell thunderstorms can last for hours until they dissipate by outflow.
Thunderstorms are very active with electricity and so are also called electrical storms.Lightning is a large electrical discharge that happens between two opposite charged surfaces.
When lightning strikes, energy is let out. This energy moves to the air and makes air spread quickly and send out sound waves. Thunder is the sound that comes from the rapid spread of air along the lightning strike. Thunder is slower than lightning, because light is faster than sound.
Only about 10% of thunderstorms are thought severe. Severe thunderstorms cause high winds of more than , hail 1 inch in diameter (24 mm), flash floods, and tornadoes. Hailstorms damage crops, damage the metal on cars, and break windows. Sudden flash floods that happen because of heavy rains is the biggest reason for weather-related deaths.
Lightning, which happens with all thunderstorms, makes thousands of forest fires each year in the United States. Lightning also kills or injures hundreds of people a year in the United States.
Regular thunderstorms begin when warm air near the ground mix with moist air, which makes an updraft (a wind that goes upward). A severe thunderstorm needs a strong "up"draft and a strong "down"draft. A strong updraft is made when, firstly, the ground is very hot; secondly, when the air is very moist; and thirdly, the air above is very cold. When the updraft gets stronger, so does the thunderstorm.
Flash floods happen when slow-moving thunderstorms pour down much more water than usual in a small area. It rains so hard that the water can not soak into the ground fast enough, and the water rushes down the mountainsides or hills into streams and rivers. These streams and rivers cannot carry all the water, so it quickly floods. The most severe flash flood makes the water level rise dangerously in streams, dry places, or canyons. Flash floods can make terrible mud slides and can move very quickly. They can roll big rocks, tear out trees, and destroy buildings and bridges.
Flash floods can also happen when two or more thunderstorms hit the same spot, one right after the other. They can happen when a dam bursts open or ice breaks up. Flash floods can also happen when it rains very hard on quickly melting snow.
Thunderstorms do not do only damage; however, they can be a great help to man and all living creatures. We get lots of water for many continents during the summer. Plants receive lots of life-giving rain when they need it. Without the thunderstorms, many continents would become dry. Fish would die, crops would fail, and animals would die.
Thunderstorms are also our natural air conditioners. Hot air at the surface rises up into the high atmosphere where the heat is put out into space. Clouds give us shades, and rain can cool down a hot day. Without thunderstorms, the earth would be as much as warmer. In the summer, dust, haze, and other pollutants come together in the lower atmosphere. When the air rises, either in cumulus clouds or in thunderstorms, spreads the pollution higher up into the atmosphere. Rain from thunderstorms washes away many of these pollutants out of the air.
Lightning in thunderstorms also helps keep the electrical balance between the earth and the atmosphere. Lightning is also fertilizer. When it splits through the sky, it changes nitrogen gas in the air to nitrogen compounds. These fall to the ground and are added to the soil. Nitrogen is one of the main ingredients in fertilizer. Ten percent of the nitrogen fertilizer needed for farming is made by lightning.
So, even though thunderstorms are dangerous, they can be a great help. They give summer water, cool the earth, and clean the air. Lightning balances the earth's electricity and helps fertilize the soil. And after a thunderstorm, sometimes there is a rainbow.
Some tips to keep safe in a thunderstorm are:
North Charleston, South Carolina
North Charleston, South Carolina is a suburb in the metropolitan area of Charleston. The area is extremely historical. The region has suffered hits from many severe hurricanes.
2012 Atlantic hurricane season
The 2012 Atlantic hurricane season was an above average season in terms of ACE and damage but most storms were week and short lived. It was theevent that occurs when tropical cyclones develop in the Atlantic basin. The season began when Tropical Storm Alberto formed on May 19, 2012. Four days later, Tropical Storm Beryl developed. It became a subtropical storm and on May 27, was upgraded to a tropical storm. This is the first time since the 1908 Atlantic hurricane season that two storms formed before the official start date. The 2012 Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1 and ended on November 30, 2012. There were no storms formed in the month of July.
Tropical Storm Alberto formed on May 19, 2012. It became an "early season storm" because it formed before the official start of the season. Tropical Storm Alberto dissipated on May 22 without making landfall. Its maximun sustatined winds were at 60 miles per hour.
Tropical Storm Beryl developed. It became a subtropical storm and on May 27, was upgraded to a tropical storm. It hit Jacksonville, Florida.
Hurricane Chris was the third tropical system. It formed on June 19. It was also the first hurricane of the season, unexpectedly becoming one. It was in an unfavorable environment, with cool sea waters and moderate vertical wind shear. Chris, after weakening from a hurricane, became a non-tropical cyclone southeast of Newfoundland on June 22.
This system became the record earliest 4th storm, which was broken in 2012. The storm made landfall in Florida, and caused bad flooding. Ten people died.
The following names were used for named storms in the North Atlantic in 2012. The names not retired from this list was used again in the 2018 season. This is the same list used in the 2006 season. The names Kirk, Oscar, Patty, Rafael, Sandy, and Tony were used for Atlantic storms for the first time in 2012. Kirk replaced Keith after 2000, but was not used in 2006.
On April 11, 2013 the name "Sandy" was retired due to the damage and deaths it caused. Sandy was replaced with "Sara" for the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season, Sara wasn't used in 2018.
Poutine
Poutine is a dish from Quebec, Canada that has French fries and cheese curds, covered with brown gravy or sauce. Sometimes more ingredients are added.
It is a fast food dish originally from Quebec sold by many national and international fast food chains like SourKeys, A&W, KFC and Burger King.
Bobby Pulido
Bobby Pulido better known as Bobby (born April 25, 1971) is an American Tejano singer. He has released many albums. Pulido has won awards such as "Album of the Year" and "Song of the Year" at the Tejano Music Awards. In 2011, he released a clothing line under his name.
Aichi Prefecture
Aichi prefecture was created by merging Owari Province and Mikawa Province.
Aichi has a strong industry. Cars are made here. Commerce, farming and fishing are also important areas of the economy.
Aichi faces Ise Bay and Mikawa Bay to the south.
The prefecture borders Shizuoka Prefecture to the east, Nagano Prefecture to the northeast, Gifu Prefecture to the north, and Mie Prefecture to the west.