Close to 2,000 thunderstorms are going on around the world
this very moment. Lightning generated by those storms will strike 6,000 different spots on
earth in the next minuteExtreme Weather
Close to 2,000 thunderstorms are going on around the world
this very moment. Lightning generated by those storms will strike 6,000 different spots on
earth in the next minute
The
average Lightning Stroke is 6 miles long.
The
Temperature of lightning's return stroke can reach 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The surface
of the sun is not even that hot! (Sun's surface is around 11,000 degrees Fahrenheit).
The greatest
snowfall ever in a single storm was 189 inches at the Mount Shasta Ski Bowl in February,
1959.
A good
sized thunder cloud can contain a mass weighing in at about 8,750,000,000 lbs. (That's the
weight of ten-thousand 747 jet airliners.
The
average Thunderstorm is 6-10 miles wide.
The
average Thunderstorm travels at a rate of 25 miles per hour.
Once
the leading edge of a thunderstorm approaches to within 10 miles, you are at immediate
risk of being struck by lightning coming from the overhanging anvil cloud. Because of
this, many lightning deaths and injuries occur with clear skies directly overhead.
On
average, thunder can only be heard over a distance of 3-4 miles, depending on humidity,
terrain and other factors.
Approximately 100,000 thunderstorms occur in the United States each year. Approximately
10% of all thunderstorms are severe enough to produce high winds, flash floods, and
tornadoes.
Thunderstorms cause an average of 200 deaths and 700 injuries in the United States each
year.