Thunderstorm

A storm produced by cumulonimbus clouds, with lightning and thunder, often accompanied by heavy rain, gusty winds, or hail.

Cumulonimbus cloud: A towering cloud with strong vertical development that produces thunderstorms and can extend into the upper troposphere. Its deep, turbulent structure is the cloud environment in which thunderstorms form.
Atmospheric instability: A condition in which displaced air continues moving vertically because its buoyancy reinforces the displacement. Instability lets lifted warm air rise vigorously enough to support storm development.
Severe thunderstorm: A thunderstorm meeting a region's criteria for hazards such as damaging winds, large hail, or tornadoes. This subset triggers formal severe-weather monitoring and warnings.
Single-cell thunderstorm: A short-lived thunderstorm formed from one main updraft, typically lasting less than an hour. Its brief life cycle is the simplest form of thunderstorm organization.
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground. Some thunderstorms produce tornadoes when rotation becomes concentrated near the surface.
Atmospheric convection: Vertical movement in the atmosphere driven by buoyancy, often as warm air rises and cool air sinks. Buoyant air supplies the updrafts that build a thunderstorm.
Convective available potential energy: The energy available to an ascending air parcel from positive buoyancy in the atmosphere. CAPE estimates the potential strength of thunderstorm updrafts.
Supercell: A long-lived thunderstorm with a deep, rotating updraft called a mesocyclone. Its persistent rotation makes it a key storm type in severe-weather forecasting.
Multicell thunderstorm: A storm system composed of several thunderstorm cells at different stages of development. Repeated cell formation can prolong storms beyond an individual cell's lifetime.
Lightning strike: A lightning discharge that connects with the ground or an object at Earth's surface. It can injure people, ignite fires, and damage electrical systems.

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