That’s because thunder is the sound caused by lightning (it’s part of why dogs fear thunder). A charged, superheated lightning bolt creates a “resonating tube” as it travels. The air in the tube can ...

Inside a thunderstorm, warm air is forced upward in a strong updraft. As the air rises, ice and water particles collide inside the cloud, creating electrical charges. Those collisions build up ...

When thunder rumbles in the distance, there's a quick and simple way to figure out how close the lightning actually struck based on the speed of sound. After you see a flash of lightning, start ...

Heat lightning is often the term used on a summer night when lightning is seen, but no thunder is heard. While this is a real phenomenon, “heat lightning” is not a special category of lightning.