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Thunderstorms and lightning
About eighteen million thunderstorms occur around the world every year, bringing
strong winds, lightning, and heavy rains. Strong winds damage structures and
crops; lightning causes fires; and heavy rains lead to deadly flash floods. Giant
thunderstorms can also lead to tornadoes. Tornadoes are not the deadliest feature of
a thunderstorm, but flash floods and lightning are. Lightning alone kills about two
thousand people around the world each year.
Thompson Canyon storm and flood, Rainwater flows down
US, 1976 mountainsides.
On 13 July, 1976, some 2,500 people
were enjoying themselves at a scenic
spot in the Thompson River Valley
in Colorado. They were not aware of
the massive thunderstorm forming
overhead. At 6 p.m. the thunderstorm
caused heavy rains, which continued
for the next three hours, dumping one
foot of rain into the canyon. The river,
normally a little over half-a-metre
deep, turned into a torrent, almost
six metres high. The raging waters
swept away huge boulders, cars,
buildings, and people.
I’m number one!
Did you know?
A flash of lightning
can heat the air
around it to
nearly twenty-
eight thousand
degrees Celsius. The
temperature of the
sun’s surface is just
about five thousand
degrees Celsius!
About eighteen million thunderstorms occur around the world every year, bringing
strong winds, lightning, and heavy rains. Strong winds damage structures and
crops; lightning causes fires; and heavy rains lead to deadly flash floods. Giant
thunderstorms can also lead to tornadoes. Tornadoes are not the deadliest feature of
a thunderstorm, but flash floods and lightning are. Lightning alone kills about two
thousand people around the world each year.
Thompson Canyon storm and flood, Rainwater flows down
US, 1976 mountainsides.
On 13 July, 1976, some 2,500 people
were enjoying themselves at a scenic
spot in the Thompson River Valley
in Colorado. They were not aware of
the massive thunderstorm forming
overhead. At 6 p.m. the thunderstorm
caused heavy rains, which continued
for the next three hours, dumping one
foot of rain into the canyon. The river,
normally a little over half-a-metre
deep, turned into a torrent, almost
six metres high. The raging waters
swept away huge boulders, cars,
buildings, and people.
I’m number one!
Did you know?
A flash of lightning
can heat the air
around it to
nearly twenty-
eight thousand
degrees Celsius. The
temperature of the
sun’s surface is just
about five thousand
degrees Celsius!
