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Hailstorms are frequent occurrences that usually don't cause extensive damage. However, a severe storm with hailstones up to 3 inches in diameter can cause significant damage to your house, property and cattle & crops. Such an incident was recently experienced in Ranga Reddy district in Andhra Pradesh where hailstorm of the size of boulders not only caused immense damage to farmers but also took the lives of nine people.

If you follow some simple precautions to prepare for a hailstorm, you will keep yourself safe and minimize the damage to your house, cars, etc.

1- This is the first and the golden rule, always be vigilant about the weather and atmospheric conditions in your city or district. Be weather wise!

2- Don't forget to bring small kids and your pets or cattle inside, as they are more susceptible and vulnerable to injury.

3- Do not underestimate the intensity of the hailstorm. Even if the local weather agency forecasts hailstorms that are not so intense, make sure to keep the cars parked under cover in the garage.

4- Protect the roof of your house from damage by covering it with plastic or aluminum sheets so they can bear the brunt incase the hailstones are too big and roof doesn't get broken or dented in any way.

5- During a hailstorm, avoid stepping out to see it since hailstones are not the only thing that can injure, hailstorms are often accompanied by violent lightning.

6- Those on the road should stop and take cover during a hailstorm. Hailstones can dent the roof of the car and damage the windscreen. So pull over and be safe inside your car.

7- Hail falls at fast speeds, and it can cause injury to those in its path. Therefore people riding two wheelers are often much more exposed to the bad weather and damage from the piercing hailstones than those with four wheelers. Bikers should remember to wear some extra protective layer of jackets and hand gloves to prevent injury.

8- Though farmers are being educated nowadays about crop insurance which can help in case of inclement weather, preparing for an adverse situation beforehand can save a lot of hassle. And as they always say, prevention is better than cure. Be it crops or your own private small garden, always cover them with a tarp. A tarp can be quickly stretched across the top of the fence to protect plants from hail damage.

Be safe but also enjoy the bright side of rainy days, and of course be 'weather-wise'!!

Photo by Russ Nelson.

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Hailstorms are frequent occurrences that usually don't cause extensive damage. However, a severe storm with hailstones up to 3 inches in diameter can cause significant damage to your house, property and cattle & crops. Such an incident was recently experienced in Ranga Reddy district in And

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These hailstorm safety tips can help you limit the damage due to hail, and help with your overall disaster preparedness.

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Hail forms in a complex dance between moisture and wind. Deep within cumulonimbus clouds ice crystals form and begin to fall towards the Earth's surface. As this happens, wind gusts pick up the ice crystals, pushing them back up high into the clouds. As they begin to again fall down, they continue growing in size. Again, a wind gust might catch the growing hail stones, pushing them back up high into the clouds. This process may be repeated several more times until the hail stones become so large that they are too heavy for the wind to carry, causing them to fall towards the Earth.

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Hail forms in a complex dance between moisture and wind. Deep within cumulonimbus clouds ice crystals form and begin to fall towards the Earth's surface. As this happens, wind gusts pick up the ice crystals, pushing them back up high into the clouds. As they begin to again fall down, they continue growing in size.

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A hail is an ice ball of undefined size and shape. These are generally known as hailstones. Sometimes they can be harmless but at sometimes, they cause a lot of damage. They can damage cars, glass windows and can injure people. It is something which happens in the most parts of the world. They are made up of water ice. They can vary in size. They are produced in heavy rains and thunderstorms.
Creation of a hail: -
A hail is created by strong and upward motions of air but a lower freeze level. Larger hails are created due to more pressure. When it becomes too heavy for the up draft to keep, it falls. They can be created in any continent. Larger hails fall at higher speed. A hail has many layers of ice water stacked together. Hail formation depends on the air temperature. If the air temperature is very cold, hail formation will be high. A hail starts it life from a small droplet of super cooled water.
Hailstorms can cause: -

Major power cuts or black outs.

Injury to human beings and animals

Damage to vehicles, air crafts etc.

Complete damage to crops.

After cutting a hailstone in half, ice rings will be visible. Number of rings shows that how many times the hailstone traveled to the top of the storm cloud.

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A hail is an ice ball of undefined size and shape. These are generally known as hailstones. Sometimes they can be harmless but at sometimes, they cause a lot of damage. They can damage cars, glass windows and can injure people. It is something which happens in the most parts of the world.

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Because hail damages crops, there has been many efforts to stop hail. In the 16th century, farmers used to shoot cannons at thunderstorms, thinking this would destroy the hail. Cloud seeding (trying to make rain by putting dry ice crystals or a kind of smoke in clouds) is the more recent way, but it is expensive and we do not know for sure how well it works.

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Weather Wiz Kids weather information for kids

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Weather Wiz Kids is a fun and safe website for kids about all the weather info they need to know. It contains tools for weather education, including weather games, activities, experiments, photos, a glossary and educational teaching materials for the classroom.

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Tornado Facts For Kids

Enjoy our fun tornado facts for kids! Learn what tornadoes are, how fast they spin, how far they can travel, where most tornadoes occur, the difference between an F0 tornado and an F5 tornado, what a waterspout is and much more.

Read on to check out our wide range of information on twisters.

A tornado is a rapidly spinning tube of air that touches both the ground and a cloud above.

Tornadoes are sometimes called twisters.

Not all tornadoes are visible but their high wind speeds and rapid rotation often form a visible funnel of condensed water.

The Fujita Scale is a common way of measuring the strength of tornadoes. The scale ranges from F0 tornadoes that cause minimal damage through to F5 tornadoes which cause massive damage.

Most tornadoes have wind speeds less than 100 miles per hour (161 kilometres per hour).

Extreme tornadoes can reach wind speeds of over 300 miles per hour (483 kilometres per hour).

Most tornadoes travel a few miles before exhausting themselves.

Extreme tornadoes can travel much further, sometimes over 100 miles (161kilometres).

The Tri-State Tornado that travelled through parts of Missouri, Illinois and Indiana in 1925 left a path of destruction over 219 miles (352 kilometres) long.

The Tri-State Tornado was the deadliest tornado in US history, killing 695 people.

The USA averages around 1200 tornadoes every year, more than any other country.

The majority of these tornadoes occur in a geographically unique area nicknamed 'Tornado Alley'.

US States most often hit by tornadoes include Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma and Florida.

In 1989 the deadliest tornado ever recorded in the world killed around 1300 people in Bangladesh.

In the southern hemisphere tornadoes usually rotate in a clockwise direction.

In the northern hemisphere tornadoes usually rotate in a counterclockwise direction.

A tornado that occurs over water is often called a waterspout.

Weather radars are used to detect tornadoes and give advanced warning.

Basements and other underground areas are the safest places to seek refuge during a tornado. It is also a good idea to stay away from windows.

Make a tornado in a bottle or watch some amazing tornado video footage.

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Fun Tornado Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Twisters

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Tornado Facts For Kids Enjoy our fun tornado facts for kids! Learn what tornadoes are, how fast they spin, how far they can travel, where most tornadoes occur, the difference between an F0 tornado and an F5 tornado, what a waterspout is and much more.

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Take shelter, gang - because here at National Geographic Kids, we're entering the eye of the storm with ten tornado facts!

Check out our ten top facts about tornadoes...

1) Tornadoes - also known as "twisters" - are violently rotating columns of air that reach from a storm cloud to the earth's surface.

2) The winds of a tornado can reach speeds of up to 480km per hour - that's strong enough to peel the roofs off houses, uproot trees and hurl heavy objects, such as cars, hundreds of metres!

3) Tornadoes come in different shapes and sizes. Some may appear as wide funnel-shaped clouds, others as thin rope-like swirls stretching from the ground to the sky.

4) The duration of tornadoes, and the distance they travel, varies. Most last less than ten minutes and travel five to ten kilometres before disappearing. In extreme cases, however, they can last several hours and cross distances over 150km!

5) Tornadoes are measured using the Fujita Scale (or F-scale), ranging from F0 to F5, with F5 being the strongest and most destructive.

6) The deadliest tornado ever recorded was in Bangladesh in 1989. As it travelled through the Dhaka region of the country, more than 20 villages were destroyed and around 1,300 people were killed.

7) Most of the world's tornadoes occur in the United States in what's known as Tornado Alley. Stretching from west Texas to North Dakota, this area can see more than 200 tornadoes each year!

8) If a tornado occurs over water, it's called a waterspout.

9) Not all tornadoes are easy to see. In fact, they can be invisible until they pick up dust and debris, or a cloud forms within the spinning funnel.

10) The formation of a tornado is so complex that scientists still don't completely understand it. And what's more, the unpredictability of tornadoes makes them difficult - and dangerous - to study. A tornado will demolish everything in its path, including measuring equipment. And so, the secrets behind this incredible force of nature are yet to be discovered...

Photos: Getty Images UK

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Tornado Facts! - National Geographic Kids

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Take shelter, gang - because here at National Geographic Kids, we're entering the eye of the storm with ten tornado facts! Check out our ten top facts about tornadoes... 1) Tornadoes - also known as "twisters" - are violently rotating columns of air that reach from a storm cloud to the earth's surface.

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Interested in learning more about tornadoes? Are you a student looking up information for a class project? Then you've come to the right place! We've put together these tornado facts for kids to help you with the learning and research process. You can learn more about tornadoes by visiting our Tornado Facts homepage.

If you're doing a school project you can freely use the information on this web page if you give properly reference this website. If you want to report any inaccurate information please contact us.

Tornadoes are also referred to as cyclones or twisters.

A tornado is a violent weather event.

A tornado generally has a grey color tint and looks like an elephant's trunk.

The majority of tornadoes have a wind speed than is less than 100 miles per hour.

The majority of tornadoes only travel a few miles before they dissipate.

The majority of tornadoes only last for a few minutes.

Extreme tornadoes can have wind speeds that reach 300+ miles per hour.

Extreme tornadoes can travel 100+ miles before they dissipate.

Extreme tornadoes can last on the ground for over an hour before they dissipate.

There are about 1,000 to 1,200 tornadoes annually in the United States.

The Fujita Scale andEnhanced Fujita Scale are used to measure the strength of tornadoes.

Areas in the U.S. with the most tornadoes are Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Florida.

The region(s) that have a frequent occurrence of tornadoes are called tornado alley.

The 1925 Tri-State Tornado was the deadliest tornado in U.S. history, it killed 695 people.

A tornado hit Bangladesh in 1989 and killed 1,300+ people making it the deadliest tornado ever.

Doppler radar is used to detect tornadoes by looking for large rotating updrafts in supercells.

A tornado that forms or travels over water is called a waterspout.

Tornadoes in the southern hemisphere usually rotate clockwise.

Tornadoes in the northern hemisphere usually rotate counterclockwise.

A tornado watch is issued when the conditions are right for the formation of a tornado.

A tornado warning is issued when a funnel cloud has been sighted or a meteorologist has detected a tornado using Doppler radar.

A basement, storm cellar or underground area is the safest place to be during a tornado.

You might also want to check out our web page with general tornado facts. If you live in an area with a high occurrence of tornadoes we recommend you read our web page with tornado safety facts. Head on over to our tornado myths archive to learn about all the misinformation surrounding torandoes.

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Tornado facts for kids, students and young adults. Great resource for children and students looking to learn more about tornadoes.

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Nor'easters can occur in the eastern United States any time between October and April, when moisture and cold air are plentiful. A Nor'easter is named for the winds that blow in from the northeast and drive the storm up the east coast along the Gulf Stream, a band of warm water that lies off the Atlantic coast. They are known for dumping heavy amounts of rain and snow, producing hurricane-force winds, and creating high surfs that cause severe beach erosion and coastal flooding. Winter Storms

How do winter storms form?
Winter storms derive their energy from the clash of two air masses of different temperatures and moisture levels. Winter storms usually form when an air mass of cold, dry, Canadian air moves south and interacts with a warm, moist air mass moving north from the Gulf of Mexico. The point where these two air masses meet is called a front. If cold air advances and pushes away the warm air, it forms a cold front. When warm air advances, it rides up over the denser, cold air mass to form a warm front. If neither air mass advances, it forms a stationary front.

What are snowflakes?
Snowflakes are made of ice crystals. Each snowflake is six-sided and made of as many as 200 ice crystals. Snowflakes form in clouds where the temperature is below freezing. The ice crystals form around tiny bits of dirt that has been carried up into the atmosphere by the wind. As the snow crystals grow, they become heavier and fall toward the ground. Why is snow white?
Bright snow blinds us with its gleaming white color because it reflects beams of white light. Instead of absorbing light, snow's complex structure prevents the light from shining through its lattice formation. A beam of white sunlight entering a snow bank is so quickly scattered by a zillion ice crystals and air pockets that most of the light comes bouncing right back out of the snow bank. What little sunlight is absorbed by snow is absorbed equally over the wavelengths of visible light thus giving snow its white appearance. So while many natural objects get their blue, red, and yellow colors from absorbing light, snow is stuck with its white color because it reflects light.

What is thundersnow? How is snow formed?
Snow is commonly formed when water vapor undergoes deposition, which is when water vapor changes directly to ice without first becoming a liquid, high in the atmosphere at a temperature of less than 32°F and then falls to the ground. What is sleet?
Sleet is just rain drops that freeze into ice pellets before reaching the ground. Sleet usually bounces when hitting a surface and does not stick to objects. However, it can accumulate like snow and cause a hazard to motorists.
What is an ice storm?
An ice storm is a type of winter storm caused by freezing rain. The U.S. National Weather Service defines an ice storm as a storm which results in the accumulation of at least 0.25-inch of ice on exposed surfaces.
What is freezing rain?
Freezing rain is just rain that falls onto a surface with a temperature below freezing. This causes it to freeze to surfaces, such as trees, cars, and roads, forming a coating or glaze of ice. Even small accumulations of ice can cause a significant hazard. How do ice storms form?
Ice storms form when a layer of warm air is between two layers of cold air. Frozen precipitation melts while falling into the warm air layer, and then proceeds to refreeze in the cold layer above the ground. This creates freezing rain or a glaze of ice.

What is frost? What is a frost quake?
Frost is white ice crystals that form on a surface, like the ground or leaves of a plant. Frost is created when the air temperature drops below freezing and the water vapor in the air freezes into ice crystals.

How is lake-effect snow formed?
As the cold air flows over the warm lake water, the relatively warm water heats the air's bottom layer as lake moisture evaporates into the cold air. Since warm air is lighter or less dense than cold air, the heated air rises and begins to cool. As the air cools, the moisture that evaporated into it condenses and forms clouds and snow begins falling from the cloud if the air is humid enough. (Graphic Credit: USA TODAY.) What is a Nor'easter?

What is Wind Chill? What is an Alberta Clipper? Click Here to calculate the Wind Chill.
An Alberta clipper is an area of low pressure that generally forms over Alberta, Canada, east of the Rocky Mountains. They develop east of the Rockies because air flowing eastward over the mountains creates favorable conditions. Once an Alberta Clipper forms it usually moves very rapidly to the southeast across the USA's northern Plains and then to the east off the mid-Atlantic Coast. Clippers usually cause only light precipitation with very few producing major snowstorms. However, if conditions are favorable, some Alberta clippers can rapidly intensify off the East Coast once the storm taps the relatively warm moist air over the Atlantic Ocean. The storms that rapidly intensify sometimes spread heavy snow over New England and southeastern Canada. Generally, the main weather features associated with Alberta clippers are some light snow and a reinforcement of cold air over the USA.
What is frostbite? How do blizzards form?

A blizzard is a long-lasting snowstorm with very strong winds and intense snowfall. You need three things to have a blizzard; cold air at the surface, lots of moisture, and lift. Warm air must rise over cold air.
What is an avalanche?
An avalanche is a moving mass of snow that may contain ice, soil, rocks, and uprooted trees. The height of a mountain, the steepness of its slope, and the type of snow lying on it all help determine the likelihood of an avalanche. Avalanches begin when an unstable mass of snow breaks away from a mountainside and moves downhill. The growing river of snow picks up speed as it rushes down the mountain. Avalanches have been known to reach speeds of 245 miles an hour (394 kilometers per hour)—about four times as fast as the speediest downhill skier.
Click Here to learn more about Avalanche Saftey.
Know the Lingo
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES - Issued for accumulations of snow, freezing rain, freezing drizzle, and sleet which will cause significant inconveniences and, if caution is not exercised, could lead to life-threatening situations.

Thundersnow is when thunder and lighting occur during a snowstorm. This occurs most often in late winter or early spring. To get thundersnow, you need a mass of cold air on top of warm air, plus moist air closer to the ground. Thundersnow starts out like a summer thunderstorm. The sun heats the ground and pushes masses of warm, moist air upward, creating unstable air columns. As it rises, the moisture condenses to form clouds, which are jostled by internal turbulence. The "tricky part" for making thundersnow is creating that atmospheric instability in the wintertime. For thundersnow to occur, the air layer closer to the ground has to be warmer than the layers above, but still cold enough to create snow. During thundersnow events, heavy snowfall is to be expected. In some cases, two inches per hour is possible.

Click Here to see if there are any active warnings in your area.

Winter Storm Safety Tips
BEFORE A WINTER STORM: Have a disaster plan and prepare a disaster supplies kit for your home and car. Include a first aid kit, emergency food supply, bottled water, battery-operated radio, flashlight, protective clothing, and blankets. Don't forget, be aware of changing weather. DURING A WINTER STORM: Stay indoors and dress warmly. Eat regularly, because food provides the body with energy for producing its own heat. Also, drink lots of water. If you must go outside, wear layered clothing, mittens and a hat. Watch for signs of hypothermia and frostbite. Remember to keep dry. Always change wet clothing to prevent the loss of body heat. If you must drive, carry a cell phone. Always, keep the gas tank full. Don't forget, let someone know where you're going, just in case your car gets stuck. If you're car gets stuck, stay with it and wait for help unless help is visible within 100 yards. Use maps and car mats to stay warm.

AFTER A WINTER STORM: Avoid driving until conditions have improved. Avoid overexertion! Heart attacks from shoveling snow are the leading cause of deaths during the winter. Also, check on neighbors to make sure they're okay.

Frost quakes are non-tectonic seismic events, meaning they are not caused by the shifting of the Earth's tectonic plates. Also known as cryoseisms, frost quakes are caused by a sudden rapid freezing of ground and bedrock, usually when temperatures go from above freezing to below zero. As moisture absorbed in the rock and soil freezes, it expands. This puts a great amount of stress on the areas around it. Eventually, the stress is too much and the soil and rock will crack in an "explosive" manner, creating a loud sound and even shaking the ground surface. Since temperatures are coldest in the overnight hours, most people experience frost quakes in the middle of the night. Winter Storm Activities
Lesson Plan: Here is a great lesson plan on learning about winter weather. In this activity, kids investigate aspects of winter weather, such as temperature and wind. They familiarize themselves with weather-related words. It's a great activity for K-2nd graders.

Cold air moves over warm water and is warmed from below. Moisture evaporates in the air.

Warm moist air rises downwind of lakes and forms heavy snow.

Lesson Plan: Here is a great lesson plan on learning about winter weather. In this activity, kids learn how winter storms form and about the different types of fronts. It's a great activity for 3rd-5th graders. Note: This is a PDF file, so you need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Measuring Snow Experiment: Here is a great experiment that lets kids measure snow. They let the snow melt and then measure it again. It teaches kids that snow is very dense and is why it holds more space than water.

The wind chill is the temperature your body feels when the air temperature is combined with the wind speed. The higher the wind speed the faster exposed areas of your body lose heat and the colder you feel.Melting Snow Experiment: Here is another experiment that teaches kids the difference between the freezing and melting process. It allows kids to take the temperature of a glass of snow. Then, watch the snow melt and observe how the temperature changed.

Frost Experiment: Here is a great experiment that lets kids make frost. They can see how dew turns into frost in a matter of minutes.Examining Snowflakes Experiment: Here is a great experiment that lets kids see snowflakes up close. They can examine the snowflake's six sides.
Pressure Experiment: Here is an experiment that shows how pressure is created in our atmosphere by sucking an egg in a bottle. This is a very cool experiment!
Science Fair Project Ideas: Here is a complete list of science fair project ideas. Discover the science behind the weather that impacts us every day.
Make A Barometer Experiment: Here is an experiment that allows the kids to make a barometer.

Evaporation Experiment: Here is an experiment that shows kids how evaporation takes place.

Frostbite is damage to the skin due to prolonged exposure to cold temperatures, usually below 32° F.

WINTER STORM WATCH - Alerts the public to the possibility of a blizzard, heavy snow, heavy freezing rain, or heavy sleet. Winter Storm Watches are usually issued 12 to 48 hours before the beginning of a winter storm.

WINTER STORM WARNING - Issued when hazardous winter weather in the form of heavy snow, heavy freezing rain, or heavy sleet is occurring. Winter Storm Warnings are usually issued 12 to 24 hours before the event is expected.

BLIZZARD WARNING - Issued for sustained or gusty winds of 35 mph or more, and falling or blowing snow creating visibilities at or below 1/4 mile. These conditions should persist for 3 hours.

FROST/FREEZE WARNING - Issued when below freezing temperatures are expected.

LAKE EFFECT SNOW ADVISORY - Issued when accumulation of lake effect snow will cause significant inconvenience.

LAKE EFFECT SNOW WARNING - Issued when heavy lake effect snow is occurring.

WIND CHILL ADVISORY - Issued when the wind chill temperature is forecast to be between -15°F to -24°F.

WIND CHILL WARNING - Issued when the wind chill temperature is forecast to be -25°F or lower.

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Weather Wiz Kids weather information for kids

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Weather Wiz Kids is a fun and safe website for kids about all the weather info they need to know. It contains tools for weather education, including weather games, activities, experiments, photos, a glossary and educational teaching materials for the classroom.

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A blizzard is a snowstorm characterized as severe, and accompanied by winds of 35 miles per hour or more, sustained for a period of three hours or more. If snow is not falling but the snow on the ground is lifted and blown around it is referred to as a 'ground blizzard'.

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What is a blizzard? How does a blizzard form?

According to The Weather Channel a blizzard is a storm with "winds of at least 35 mph, and visibility reduced by falling and/or blowing snow to less than 1/4 mile." These conditions must last for at least 3 hours. Snow forms when two air masses collide one with warm air and one with cold air they collide and make a front if there is more cold air it creates a snow if there is more warm air it will just rain. When this snow is combined with the wind, and decreased visibility, it forms a blizzard.

How blizzards affect people....

- A blizzard can shut down a city, sometimes for days. Transportation can be impossible. This means kids miss school and adults cannot get to work. People can be stuck in their homes for days.

- Electrical wires often go down because of the heavy wind and snow. This leaves people with no electricity. Without electricity, people can't use computers, TVs, appliances, and lights.

- If people are caught outside in a blizzard, they risk getting frost bite and hypothermia.

- A blizzard can cause lots of property damage, such as roof cave-ins and windows breaking. Trees can fall on houses, cars, etc.

- Blizzards can be the cause of lots of car accidents. Cars can be stranded on highways too.

-Blizzards are life threatening storms. People have died in blizzards.

- Blizzards can hurt the economy. People can't get to work. Jobs don't get done. Businesses and stores lose money.

How blizzards affect the land....

- Trees, plants, and crops can die in a blizzard, because of the extreme cold.

- Tree branches and limbs can break.

- Flooding can happen after a blizzard. This happens when there is a warm up after having large amount of snow. The snow starts melting faster than land can absorb it.

How blizzards affect animals....

- Blizzards can be life threatening to pets, farm animals, etc. They can die if exposed to the cold. They can also get lost and not be able to find their way home during a blizzard.

- Pets should not be left outside during a snow storm or a blizzard.

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According to The Weather Channel a blizzard is a storm with "winds of at least 35 mph, and visibility reduced by falling and/or blowing snow to less than 1/4 mile." These conditions must last for...

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Hurricanes only form over really warm ocean water of 80°F or warmer. The atmosphere (the air) must cool off very quickly the higher you go. Also, the wind must be blowing in the same direction and at the same speed to force air upward from the ocean surface. Winds flow outward above the storm allowing the air below to rise. Hurricanes typically form between 5 to 15 degrees latitude north and south of the equator. The To learn more about hurricanes, Prepare a disaster supplies kit for your home and car. Include a first aid kit, canned food and a can opener, bottled water, battery-operated radio, flashlight, protective clothing and written instructions on how to turn off electricity, gas, and water. Have a NOAA weather radio handy with plenty of batteries, so you can listen to storm advisories. Have some cash handy as well, because following a hurricane, banks and ATMs may be temporarily closed. Make sure your car is filled with gasoline. Hurricanes

What is a hurricane?
A hurricane is a huge storm! It can be up to 600 miles across and have strong winds spiraling inward and upward at speeds of 75 to 200 mph. Each hurricane usually lasts for over a week, moving 10-20 miles per hour over the open ocean. Hurricanes gather heat and energy through contact with warm ocean waters. Evaporation from the seawater increases their power. Hurricanes rotate in a counter-clockwise direction around an "eye" in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise direction in the Southern Hemisphere. The center of the storm or "eye" is the calmest part. It has only light winds and fair weather. When they come onto land, the heavy rain, strong winds and large waves can damage buildings, trees and cars.

>Click Here to get your very own Hurricane Tracking Chart.

How do hurricanes form?
Coriolis Force is needed to create the spin in the hurricane and it becomes too weak near the equator, so hurricanes can never form there.

What is storm surge?
Storm surges are frequently the most devastating element of a hurricane. As a hurricane's winds spiral around and around the storm, they push water into a mound at the storm's center. This mound of water becomes dangerous when the storm reaches land because it causes flooding along the coast. The water piles up, unable to escape anywhere but on land as the storm carries it landward. A hurricane will cause more storm surge in areas where the ocean floor slopes gradually. This causes major flooding.
As you watch the storm-surge animations, notice the effect that the physical geography of each coastline has on storm surge. Also, note the waves on top of the ocean's surface. Wind, waves, and sea-level rise all contribute to storm-surge damage.

Shallow-Water Coastline

Deep-Water Coastline

With technology the way it is, there are computer models that allow forecasters to predict the amount of storm surge that will affect a coastal area. These are called Slosh Models and take into account a storm's strength, its path, how the ocean shallows, and the shape of the land. Then it calculates how much storm surge a hurricane will probably cause.

The Atlantic hurricane season is from June 1 to November 30, but most hurricanes occur during the fall months. The Eastern Pacific hurricane season is from May 15 to November 30. (Below is a graphic that shows you when hurricanes are most active across parts of the world.)
When does hurricane season start?

Who names hurricanes?
From 1950 to 1952, tropical cyclones of the North Atlantic Ocean were identified by the phonetic alphabet (Able-Baker-Charlie-etc.), but in 1953 the US Weather Bureau switched to women's names. The rest of the world eventually caught on, and naming rights now go by the World Meteorological Organization, which uses different sets of names depending on the part of the world the storm is in. Around the U.S., only women's names were used until 1979, when it was decided that they should alternate a list that included men's names too. There's 6 different name lists that alternate each year. If a hurricane does significant damage, its name is retired and replaced with another.
Atlantic Hurricane Names
Eastern Pacific Hurricane Names
Nothing except geography. Tropical storms occur in several of the world's oceans, and except for their names, they are essentially the same type of storm. In the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and the Eastern Pacific Ocean, they are called hurricanes. In the Western Pacific Ocean, they are called typhoons. In the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal, and Australia, these types of storms are called cyclones.
What is the difference between a hurricane and a typhoon?
(This is a satellite animation of Hurricane Georges, which struck the Mississippi Gulf coast in 1998.)

The brave "hurricane hunters" work for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Each mission lasts about ten hours, with the crews passing four to six times through the storm. The planes carry radar, sophisticated computers, and weather instruments that determine characteristics such as temperature, air pressure, wind speed, and wind direction inside the hurricane. The crews also release instruments that measure temperature, air pressure, and wind at different levels as the devices drop through the hurricane toward the ocean. By mission's end, NOAA can warn everyone in the hurricane's path. (Below is a satellite image of Hurricane Mitch back in October 1998. The Hurricane Hunters flew into the eye of Mitch just as this Category 5 hurricane with winds of 155 mph smacked right into Central America.)

Who are the "Hurricane Hunters"?
Coastal beach erosion is the wearing away of land, the removal of beach or dune sediments by wave action, tidal currents, wave currents, or drainage. Waves are generated by storms, wind, or hurricanes and can cause coastal erosion. This may take the form of long-term losses of sediment and rocks, or merely the temporary redistribution of coastal sediments.

What is coastal beach erosion?

Hurricanes...Past and Present
Tropical Tracks: Click to see the tracks of this year's storms.

Know the Lingo Past Hurricane Info: Click to find all the data and information about a specific hurricane by just knowing the year.
HURRICANE WATCH - Hurricane conditions with sustained winds of 74 mph or greater are possible in your area within the next 36 hours. This WATCH should trigger your family's disaster plan, and protective measures should be initiated. Especially, those actions that require extra time such as securing a boat and leaving a barrier island.
TROPICAL STORM WATCH - Tropical Storm conditions with sustained winds from 39 -74 mph are possible in your area within the next 36 hours.
HURRICANE WARNING - Hurricane conditions are expected in your area within 24 hours. Once this WARNING has been issued, your family should be in the process of completing protective actions and deciding the safest location to be during the storm.

COASTAL FLOOD WATCH - The possibility exists for the inundation of land areas along the coast within the next 12 to 36 hours.

COASTAL FLOOD WARNING - Land areas along the coast are expected to become, or have become, inundated by sea water above the typical tide action.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY - A small craft advisory is a type of warning issued by the National Weather Service, most frequently in coastal areas. It is issued when winds have reached, or are expected to reach within 12 hours, a speed marginally less than that which is considered gale force, usually 25-38 mph.

Click Here to see if there are any active warnings in your area.
Hurricane Stages
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale

Category

Winds (MPH)

Pressure (Millibars)

Pressure (Inches)

Storm Surge
(Feet)

Damage

3

111-130

964-945

28.47-27.91

9'-12'

Extensive

Click Here to watch a variety of videos teaching you the ins and outs of nature's fury. I would like to give a special thanks to Pinellas County Emergency management for putting these instructional videos together.
Hurricane Safety Tips

BEFORE A HURRICANE: Have a disaster plan and a pet plan ready. Before a storm threatens, contact your veterinarian or local humane society for information on preparing your pets for an emergency. Board up windows and b ring in outdoor objects that could blow away. Make sure you know which county or parish you live in and k now where all the evacuation routes are.

Stay away from low-lying and flood prone areas. Always stay indoors during a hurricane, because strong winds will blow things around. Leave mobile homes and to go to a shelter. DURING A HURRICANE: If your home isn't on higher ground, go to a shelter. If emergency managers say to evacuate, then do so immediately.
AFTER A HURRICANE: Stay indoors until it is safe to come out. Check for injured or trapped people, without putting yourself in danger. Watch out for flooding which can happen after a hurricane. Do not attempt to drive in flooding water. Stay away from standing water. It may be electrically charged from underground or downed power lines. Don't drink tap water until officials say its safe to do so.

Evacuation Tips: Here is a list of tips on what you should do, if you chose to evacuate as a hurricane approaches.
Hurricane Activities
Hurricane Supply Checklist: Here is a list of what what you will need if you chose to stay at your home during a hurricane.
Lesson Plan: Here is a great lesson plan on learning about hurricane safety. In this activity, Owlie teaches kids about hurricanes and quizzes them about what they learned. Note: This is a PDF file, so you need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Lesson Plan: Here is a great lesson plan on understanding hurricanes. Students will learn how wind speed increases the height and why higher waves occur in shallower water. This activity is for grades 6-8.

Lesson Plan: Here is a great interactive lesson plan on allowing kids to create their very own hurricane. It lets you try to create ideal hurricane conditions by changing the winds, latitude, moisture, and sea temperature. It even keeps score! This is a great activity for 5-8th graders.Lesson Plan: Here is a great lesson plan on elementary reading comprehension. This lesson contains a broader vocabulary, more hurricane facts, and more thought-provoking writing prompts. It works well for grades 3-5. Note: This is a PDF file, so you need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader. Lesson Plan: Here is a great interactive lesson plan that lets kids aim a hurricane. It lets you move the hurricane symbol, high pressure symbol and low pressure symbol to track your very own hurricane. Sometimes your hurricane will make landfall, other times it misses the U.S. all together. It lets kid understand how important the setup of weather impacts where hurricanes go.

Pressure Experiment: Here is an experiment that shows how pressure is created in our atmosphere by sucking an egg in a bottle. This is a very cool experiment!
Science Fair Project Ideas: Here is a complete list of science fair project ideas. Discover the science behind the weather that impacts us every day.
Make A Barometer Experiment: Here is an experiment that allows the kids to make a barometer.

Evaporation Experiment: Here is an experiment that shows kids how evaporation takes place.

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Weather Wiz Kids weather information for kids

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Weather Wiz Kids is a fun and safe website for kids about all the weather info they need to know. It contains tools for weather education, including weather games, activities, experiments, photos, a glossary and educational teaching materials for the classroom.

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Hold on tight, gang - and we mean super tight! - because we're about to check out ten facts on one of nature's most powerful forces - hurricanes!

1. Hurricanes are giant tropical storms that produce heavy rainfall and super-strong winds.

2. Hurricanes form over warm ocean waters near the equator. The warm, moist air above the ocean surface rises, causing air from surrounding areas to be "sucked" in. This "new" air then becomes warm and moist, and rises, too, beginning a continuous cycle that forms clouds. The clouds then rotate with the spin of the Earth. If there is enough warm water to feed the storm, a hurricane forms!

3. Hurricanes rotate around a circular centre called the " eye ", where it is generally calm with no clouds. Surrounding the eye is the eye wall - the most dangerous part of the hurricane with the strongest winds, thickest clouds and heaviest rain!

4. Most hurricanes occur harmlessly out at sea. However, when they move towards land they can be incredibly dangerous and cause serious damage.

5. The strong spiraling winds of a hurricane can reach speeds of up to 320kmph - strong enough to rip up entire trees and destroy buildings!

6. In the southern hemisphere, hurricanes rotate in a clockwise direction, and in the northern hemisphere they rotate in an anti-clockwise direction. This is due to what's called the Coriolis Force, produced by the Earth's rotation.

7. When a hurricane reaches land it often produces a " storm surge". This is when the high winds drive the sea toward the shore, causing water levels to rise and creating large crashing waves. Storm surges can reach 6m high and extend to over 150km!

8. Hurricanes are also called cyclones and typhoons, depending on where they occur. In the Atlantic Ocean and Northwest Pacific they are hurricanes, in the Northwest Pacific they are typhoons and in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean they are cyclones.

9. The largest hurricane on record is Typhoon Tip, which occurred in 1979 in the northwest Pacific. With a diameter of around 2,220km, it was nearly half the size of the United States!

10. Hurricanes are given names by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) so that they can be distinguished. Each year, tropical storms are named in alphabetical order according to a list produced by the WMO. That name stays with the storm if it develops into a hurricane. The names can only be repeated after six years.

Photos: Getty Images UK

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10 Facts about Hurricanes! - National Geographic Kids

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Check out ten top facts about hurricanes here at National Geographic Kids! Learn how hurricanes form, what the world's biggest hurricane is and more!

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What is a thunderstorm?
A thunderstorm is a storm with lightning and thunder. Its produced by a cumulonimbus cloud, usually producing gusty winds, heavy rain and sometimes hail.

What causes a thunderstorm?
The basic ingredients used to make a thunderstorm are moisture, unstable air and lift. You need moisture to form clouds and rain. You need unstable air that is relatively warm and can rise rapidly. Finally, you need lift. This can form from fronts, sea breezes or mountains.

What are the stages of a thunderstorm?
Thunderstorms have three stages in their life cycle: The developing stage, the mature stage, and the dissipating stage. The developing stage of a thunderstorm is marked by a cumulus cloud that is being pushed upward by a rising column of air (updraft). The cumulus cloud soon looks like a tower (called towering cumulus) as the updraft continues to develop. There is little to no rain during this stage but occasional lightning. The thunderstorm enters the mature stage when the updraft continues to feed the storm, but precipitation begins to fall out of the storm, creating a downdraft (a column of air pushing downward). When the downdraft and rain-cooled air spreads out along the ground it forms a gust front, or a line of gusty winds. The mature stage is the most likely time for hail, heavy rain, frequent lightning, strong winds, and tornadoes. Eventually, a large amount of precipitation is produced and the updraft is overcome by the downdraft beginning the dissipating stage. At the ground, the gust front moves out a long distance from the storm and cuts off the warm moist air that was feeding the thunderstorm. Rainfall decreases in intensity, but lightning remains a danger.

What is a Mesoscale Convective System?
A Mesoscale Convective System (MCS) is a collection of thunderstorms that act as a system. An MCS can spread across an entire state and last more than 12 hours. On radar one of these monsters might appear as a solid line, a broken line, or a cluster of cells. This all-encompassing term can include any of the following storm types:

Mesoscale convective complex (MCC)-A particular type of MCS, an MCC is a large, circular, long-lived cluster of showers and thunderstorms identified by satellite. It often emerges out of other storm types during the late-night and early-morning hours. MCCs can cover an entire state.

Mesoscale convective vortex (MCV)-A low-pressure center within an MCS that pulls winds into a circling pattern, or vortex. With a core only 30 to 60 miles wide and 1 to 3 miles deep, an MCV is often overlooked in standard weather analyses. But an MCV can take on a life of its own, persisting for up to 12 hours after its parent MCS has dissipated. This orphaned MCV will sometimes then become the seed of the next thunderstorm outbreak. An MCV that moves into tropical waters, such as the Gulf of Mexico, can serve as the nucleus for a tropical storm or hurricane.

What is SKYWARN?
SKYWARN is a National Weather program that is run by and coordinated by the NWS. It was a concept developed in the early 1970's that was intended to promote a cooperative effort between the National Weather Service and its communities. The emphasis of the effort is often focused on the storm spotter, a volunteer who takes a position near their community and reports wind gusts, hail size, rainfall, and cloud formations that could signal a developing tornado. YOU can be trained to be a SKYWARN spotter. Visit www.skywarn.org to find a link to local SKYWARN groups. If your area is not listed, contact your local National Weather Service Office.

What is lightning?
Lightning is a bright flash of electricity produced by a thunderstorm. All thunderstorms produce lightning and are very dangerous. If you hear the sound of thunder, then you are in danger from lightning. Lightning kills and injures more people each year than hurricanes or tornadoes; between 75 to 100 people.

What causes lightning?
Lightning is an electric current. Within a thundercloud way up in the sky, many small bits of ice (frozen raindrops) bump into each other as they move around in the air. All of those collisions create an electric charge. After a while, the whole cloud fills up with electrical charges. The positive charges or protons form at the top of the cloud and the negative charges or electrons form at the bottom of the cloud. Since opposites attract, that causes a positive charge to build up on the ground beneath the cloud. The grounds electrical charge concentrates around anything that sticks up, such as mountains, people, or single trees. The charge coming up from these points eventually connects with a charge reaching down from the clouds and - zap - lightning strikes!

Have you ever rubbed your feet across carpet and then touched a metal door handle? If so, then you know that you can get shocked! Lightning works in the same way.

Click Here to see where lightning is currently striking across the U.S.

What causes thunder?
Thunder is caused by lightning. When a lightning bolt travels from the cloud to the ground it actually opens up a little hole in the air, called a channel. Once then light is gone the air collapses back in and creates a sound wave that we hear as thunder. The reason we see lightning before we hear thunder is because light travels faster than sound!

How do you know if lightning is nearby?
If you see dark clouds, then lightning could be present, but the best thing you can do is to listen for thunder. If you hear thunder, then you need to go indoors or get in a car. Don't be outside, where lightning could strike! If your hair stands on end or your skin starts to tingle, lightning maybe about to strike. Get down on your hands and knees and keep your head tucked in. Do not lay flat, because it can give lightning a better chance of strike you.

What is hail?
Hail is a variety of differently shaped ice balls or lumps. Hail or hailstones are made up of water ice and can be any size; it can be measured anything from five millimetres and two hundred millimeters. Hail is produced during thunderstorms and heavy rains.

What is a hailstorm?
A hailstorm is a thunderstorm that produces hail.

How does hail form?
Hail is created when small water droplets are caught in the updraft of a thunderstorm. These water droplets are lifted higher and higher into the sky until they freeze into ice. Once they become heavy, they will start to fall. If the smaller hailstones get caught in the updraft again, they will get more water on them and get lifted higher in the sky and get bigger. Once they get lifted again, they freeze and fall. This happens over and over again until the hailstone is too heavy and then falls to the ground.

How does hail fall to the ground?
Hail falls when it becomes heavy enough to overcome the strength of the updraft and is pulled by gravity towards the earth. How it falls is dependent on what is going on inside the thunderstorm. Hailstones bump into other raindrops and other hailstones inside the thunderstorm, and this bumping slows down their fall. Drag and friction also slow their fall, so it is a complicated question! If the winds are strong enough, they can even blow hail so that it falls at an angle. This would explain why the screens on one side of a house can be shredded by hail and the rest are unharmed!

How is hail measured?
Hail size is estimated by comparing it to a known object. Most hail storms are made up of a mix of sizes, and only the very largest hail stones pose serious risk to people caught in the open.

Pea = 1/4 inch diameter

Marble/mothball = 1/2 inch diameter

Dime/Penny = 3/4 inch diameter

Nickel = 7/8 inch

Quarter = 1 inch - hail quarter size or larger is considered severe

Ping-Pong Ball = 1 1/2 inch

Golf Ball = 1 3/4 inches

Tennis Ball = 2 1/2 inches

Baseball = 2 3/4 inches

Tea cup = 3 inches

Grapefruit = 4 inches

Softball = 4 1/2 inches

What causes the wind to blow?
As the sun warms the Earth's surface, the atmosphere warms too. Some parts of the Earth receive direct rays from the sun all year and are always warm. Other places receive indirect rays, so the climate is colder. Warm air, which weighs less than cold air, rises. Then cool air moves in and replaces the rising warm air. This movement of air is what makes the wind blow.

What are the different types of microbursts?
There are two kinds of microbursts: wet and dry. A wet microburst is accompanied by heavy precipitation at the surface. Dry microbursts, common in places like the high plains and the intermountain west, occur with little or no precipitation reaching the ground.

What is a gust front?
A gust front is the leading edge of rain-cooled air that clashes with warmer thunderstorm inflow. Gust fronts are characterized by a wind shift, temperature drop, and gusty winds out ahead of a thunderstorm. Sometimes the winds push up air above them, forming a shelf cloud or detached roll cloud.

What is a bow echo?
A bow echo is a radar echo that is linear but bent outward in a bow shape. Damaging straight-line winds often occur near the "crest" or center of a bow echo. Areas of circulation also can develop at either end of a bow echo, which sometimes can lead to tornado formation - especially in the left (usually northern) end, where the circulation shows cyclonic rotation.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH - A severe thunderstorm (damaging winds of 58 miles per hour or more, or 1″ hail in diameter or greater) is likely to develop in your area.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING - A severe thunderstorm (damaging winds of 58 miles per hour or more, or hail three-fourths of an inch in diameter or greater) is taking place in your area.

DOWNDRAFT - A sudden descent of cool or cold air to the ground, usually with precipitation, and associated with a thunderstorm or shower.

UPDRAFT - A warm column of air that rises within a cloud. If the air is sufficiently moist, then the moisture condenses to become a cumulus cloud.

The typical thunderstorm is 15 miles in diameter and lasts an average of 30 minutes.

Thunderstorms happen in every state and every thunderstorm has lightning.

Thunderstorms may occur singly, in clusters, or in lines.

Some of the most severe occur when a single thunderstorm affects one location for an extended time.

Thunderstorms typically produce heavy rain for a brief period, anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour.

Warm, humid conditions are highly favorable for thunderstorm development.

About 10 percent of thunderstorms are classified as severe-one that produces hail at least three-quarters of an inch in diameter, has winds of 58 miles per hour or higher, or produces a tornado.

Click Here to see if there are any active warnings in your area.

IF YOU'RE OUTDOORS: Keep an eye at the sky. Look for darkening skies, flashes of lightning, or increasing winds. Lightning often proceeds rain, so don't wait for the rain to begin. If you hear the sound of thunder, go to a safe place immediately. The best place to go is a sturdy building or a car, but make sure the windows in the car are shut. Avoid sheds, picnic areas, baseball dugouts and bleachers.

If there is no shelter around you, stay away from trees. Crouch down in the open area, keeping twice as far away from a tree as far as it is tall. Put your feet together and place your hands over your ears to minimize hearing damage from thunder. If you're with a group of people stay about 15 feet from each other. Stay out of water, because it's a great conductor of electricity. Swimming, wading, snorkeling and scuba diving are not safe. Also, don't stand in puddles and avoid metal. Stay away from clotheslines, fences, and drop your backpacks because they often have metal on them. If you're playing an outdoor activity, wait at least 30 minutes after the last observed lightning strike or thunder.

IF YOU'RE INDOORS: Avoid water. It's a great conductor of electricity, so do not take a shower, wash your hands, wash dishes or do laundry. Do not use a corded telephone. Lightning may strike exterior phone lines. Do not use electric equipment like computers and appliances during a storm. Stay away from windows and doors and stay off porches.

IF SOMEONE IS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING: Call for help. Call 9-1-1 or send for help immediately. The injured person does not carry an electrical charge, so it is okay to touch them.

Make Lightning In Your Mouth Experiment: Here is a great experiment that allows kids to make lightning in their mouth. It's a great way for them to understand how lightning works.

What's Lightning Experiment: Here is a great experiment that allows the kids to make lightning. All you need is a balloon and a light bulb!

Make Lightning Experiment: Here is another great experiment that allows the kids to make lightning. This teaches kids about the positive and negative charges and where they come from.

Sticking A Balloon To A Wall Experiment: Here is an experiment that allows the kids to learn about static electricity by sticking a balloon to a wall. This teaches kids about the positive and negative charges and where they come from.

Bend Water Experiment: Here is another static electricity experiment that bends water. This teaches kids about the positive and negative charges and where they come from.

Make Your Hair Stand Up Experiment: Here is yet another static electricity experiment with using a balloon and your hair. This teaches kids about the positive and negative charges and where they come from.

Make Thunder Experiment: This experiment allows kids to make thunder, in a way that allows them to understand how it is made by lightning.

Track A Thunderstorm Experiment: Here is a great way to teach kids how to track a thunderstorm.

Make A Thunderstorm Experiment: Here is a great experiment that shows kids how our weather works. It teaches them how thunderstorms are formed!

Science Fair Project Ideas: Here is a complete list of science fair project ideas. Discover the science behind the weather that impacts us every day.

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What is a thunderstorm? A thunderstorm is a storm with lightning and thunder. Its produced by a cumulonimbus cloud, usually producing gusty winds, heavy rain and sometimes hail. What causes a thunderstorm? The basic ingredients used to make a thunderstorm are moisture, unstable air and lift. You need moisture to form clouds and rain.

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Lightning

What is lightning?
Lightning is a bright flash of electricity produced by a thunderstorm. All thunderstorms produce lightning and are very dangerous. If you hear the sound of thunder, then you are in danger from lightning. Lightning kills and injures more people each year than hurricanes or tornadoes; between 75 to 100 people.

What causes lightning?
Lightning is an electric current. Within a thundercloud way up in the sky, many small bits of ice (frozen raindrops) bump into each other as they move around in the air. All of those collisions create an electric charge. After a while, the whole cloud fills up with electrical charges. The positive charges or protons form at the top of the cloud and the negative charges or electrons form at the bottom of the cloud. Since opposites attract, that causes a positive charge to build up on the ground beneath the cloud. The grounds electrical charge concentrates around anything that sticks up, such as mountains, people, or single trees. The charge coming up from these points eventually connects with a charge reaching down from the clouds and - zap - lightning strikes!

Have you ever rubbed your feet across carpet and then touched a metal door handle? If so, then you know that you can get shocked! Lightning works in the same way.

Click Here to see where lightning is currently striking across the U.S.
Lightning is approximately 54,000 degrees Fahrenheit. That is six times hotter than the surface of the sun!
How hot is lightning?

Lightning seems to be clear or a white-yellow color, but it really depends on the background.
What color is lightning?

Thunder is caused by lightning. When a lightning bolt travels from the cloud to the ground it actually opens up a little hole in the air, called a channel. Once then light is gone the air collapses back in and creates a sound wave that we hear as thunder. The reason we see lightning before we hear thunder is because light travels faster than sound!

What causes thunder?
If you see dark clouds, then lightning could be present, but the best thing you can do is to listen for thunder. If you hear thunder, then you need to go indoors or get in a car. Don't be outside, where lightning could strike! If your hair stands on end or your skin starts to tingle, lightning maybe about to strike. Get down on your hands and knees and keep your head tucked in. Do not lay flat, because it can give lightning a better chance of strike you.

How do you know if lightning is nearby?
Within those distant thunderstorms, the lightning bolts can be seen as much as 100 miles from us, depending on the height of the bolt, the clarity of the air, and our elevation. Thunder, in comparison, has a much shorter range of detection - usually less than 15 miles in a quiet rural setting and under 5 miles in a noisy city environment.

How far away can you see lightning and hear thunder?
All lightning is dangerous, but cloud-to-ground lightning is the most dangerous type of lightning. Most cloud-to-ground lightning strikes come from the negatively charged bottom of the cloud traveling to the positively charged ground below.

Why are you less likely to see static electricity in the summer?
In the summer, our dew points are much higher due to warm and humid air coming from the Gulf of Mexico and that is why we have humid weather. In the winter, our dew points are much lower due to cold and direr air coming from Canada. The lower the dew point the better it is to create static electricity, so that's why you see it more in the winter. Cloud-to-ground lightning bolts strike the tall objects, like trees and buildings. These lightning strikes can cause fire and property damage. If you're the tallest object, then lighting can strike you. Lightning is the second weather related killed.
What is cloud-to-ground lightning?

Intracloud lightning is the most common type of lightning. This occurs when there are both positive and negative charges within the same cloud. Usually, the process takes place within the cloud and looks like a bright flash of light which flickers.

Intercloud lightning is less common. It's when a lightning strike occurs when there are positive and negative charges within different clouds and the strike travels in the air between them.

What is intracloud lightning?
Forked lighting appears as jagged lines of light. They can have several branches. Forked lightning can be seen shooting from the clouds to the ground, from one cloud to another cloud, or from a cloud out into the air. This lightning can strike up to 10 miles away from a thunderstorm.

What is intercloud lightning?

Sheet lightning appears as flashes of light that seem to light up or illuminate entire clouds.

What is forked lightning?
Heat lightning is a term used to describe lightning flashes that are too far away from you to hear the thunder. The reason that it is called heat lightning is that it appears most often on a hot summer day when the sky is clear overhead.

High-altitude lightning has been given other names such as "red sprites," "green elves," and "blue jets." This form of lightning appears as brightly colored flashes, high above thunderstorms. You can't see these types of lightning from the ground. What is sheet lightning?

Ribbon lightning is when a bolt of lightning separates due to wind and appears as parallel lightning streaks.
What is heat lightning?

Chain or bead lightning is when a lightning bolt is broken into dotted lines while fading.

What is high-altitude lightning?
Ball lightning is a rare form of lightning. It usually appears as a reddish, luminous ball, but can come in any color. Ball lightning is usually spherical in shape and about one foot in diameter. Hissing noises originate from such balls and they sometimes make a loud noise when they explode.

What is ribbon lightning?

St. Elmo's Fire appears as a blue or greenish glow above pointed objects on the ground. It is created when tiny positively charged sparks reach up in response to negatively charges in the air or clouds above the ground. If a thunderstorm is nearby, St. Elmo's Fire might be seen right before a lightning strike.

What is chain or bead lightning?
Anvil lightning is a type of lightning referred to as "the bolt from the blue" because it often appears suddenly from a seemingly cloudless sky. A bolt at the top of a thunderstorm arcs away from the main cloud and strikes the ground where the skies above often appear clear.

What is ball lightning?
Yes, you can use thunder to tell how far away a storm is. Next time you see a storm, count the number of seconds between when you see the lightning and hear the thunder. Take the number of seconds and divide by 5 and that will tell you how far away the storm is in miles. For example: If you counted 10 seconds between the lightning and the thunder, the lightning is 2 miles away!

What is St. Elmo's Fire?

What is anvil lightning?

Can you tell how far away a storm is?

Know the Lingo

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH - A severe thunderstorm (damaging winds of 58 miles per hour or more, or 1" hail in diameter or greater) is likely to develop in your area.

PROTONS - They are particles with a positive charge. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING - A severe thunderstorm (damaging winds of 58 miles per hour or more, or hail three-fourths of an inch in diameter or greater) is taking place in your area.
ELECTRONS - They are particles with a negative charge.

STATIC ELECTRICITY - It is a form of electricity that is created when an object has too many electrons, giving it a negative charge.

LEADERS - A channel of charged air created by excess electrons in a thunderstorm cloud. A leader reaches from the cloud to the ground below, looking for positive charges.

RETURN STROKE - It's an electrical charge that travels from the ground to a thundercloud. This return stroke releases tremendous energy, bright light and thunder.

IF YOU'RE INDOORS: Avoid water. It's a great conductor of electricity, so do not take a shower, wash your hands, wash dishes or do laundry. Do not use a corded telephone. Lightning may strike exterior phone lines. Do not use electric equipment like computers and appliances during a storm. Stay away from windows and doors and stay off porches.
STREAMERS - A channel of charged air created by protons on the ground. They are created when leaders are created and reach from the ground to the sky looking for a leader to connect with.
IF SOMEONE IS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING: Call for help. Call 9-1-1 or send for help immediately. The injured person does not carry an electrical charge, so it is okay to touch them.

Know the Facts
A lightning flash is no more than one inch wide.

What we see as a flash of lightning may actually be four different strokes in exactly the same place, one right after another. That's why lightning appears to flicker.
Click Here to see if there are any active warnings in your area.

Lightning Safety Tips

IF YOU'RE OUTDOORS: Keep an eye at the sky. Look for darkening skies, flashes of lightning, or increasing winds. Lightning often proceeds rain, so don't wait for the rain to begin. If you hear the sound of thunder, go to a safe place immediately. The best place to go is a sturdy building or a car, but make sure the windows in the car are shut. Avoid sheds, picnic areas, baseball dugouts and bleachers. If there is no shelter around you, stay away from trees. Crouch down in the open area, keeping twice as far away from a tree as far as it is tall. Put your feet together and place your hands over your ears to minimize hearing damage from thunder. If you're with a group of people stay about 15 feet from each other. Stay out of water, because it's a great conductor of electricity. Swimming, wading, snorkeling and scuba diving are not safe. Also, don't stand in puddles and avoid metal. Stay away from clotheslines, fences, and drop your backpacks because they often have metal on them. If you're playing an outdoor activity, wait at least 30 minutes after the last observed lightning strike or thunder. Lightning Activities Lightning Experiment: Here is a great experiment that allows kids to make lightning in their mouth. It's a great way for them to understand how lightning works.Static Electricity Experiment: Here is an experiment that allows the kids to learn about static electricity by sticking a balloon to a wall. This teaches kids about the positive and negative charges and where they come from.

Static Electricity Experiment: Here is another static electricity experiment that bends water. This teaches kids about the positive and negative charges and where they come from.
Static Electricity Experiment: Here is yet another static electricity experiment with using a balloon and your hair. This teaches kids about the positive and negative charges and where they come from.
Thunder Experiment: This experiment allows kids to make thunder, in a way that allows them to understand how it is made by lightning.
Science Fair Project Ideas: Here is a complete list of science fair project ideas. Discover the science behind the weather that impacts us every day.

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Weather Wiz Kids weather information for kids

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Weather Wiz Kids is a fun and safe website for kids about all the weather info they need to know. It contains tools for weather education, including weather games, activities, experiments, photos, a glossary and educational teaching materials for the classroom.

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Fun Lightning Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Lightning

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Check out our fun lightning facts for kids and enjoy learning more about interesting weather topics. What is lightning? Where does it come from? How often does it occur? How dangerous is it? Find out the answers to these questions and much more.

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Kaboom! Watching and listening to a thunderstorm can be exciting, but you wouldn't want to be out in it. All thunderstorms make lightning and lightning is dangerous. Lightning happens when ice and water particles bump around inside thunder clouds. As they bump into each other, they create an electric charge. When the charge connects with electrical charges on the ground, lightning strikes.

Lightning is most likely to hit tall objects, including trees, mountains and people - anything that stands up from the ground. Thunderstorms can happen at any time of the year, but they happen most often during the spring, summer and fall. They also happen most often in the afternoon and evening. There are more than 1,800 thunderstorms every day on Earth.

Fun Facts about Thunder and Lightning for Kids

Lightning kills more people every year than tornadoes or hurricanes - about 75 to 100 people.

If you can hear thunder, lightning is nearby.

When lightning strikes it makes a hole in the air called a channel. After the lightning is gone, the hole collapses. The sound you hear when the hole collapses is thunder.

You can hear thunder up to 15 miles away. You can see lightning up to 100 miles away!

Thunder and Lightning Vocabulary

Learn More All About Thunder and Lightning

Check out this interesting video all about thunder and lightning:

A video explaining why there is thunder and lightning.

Thunder and Lightning Q&A

Question: Can you tell how far away a storm is?

Answer: When you hear thunder, start counting until you see lightning. Now divide the number of seconds between the thunder and lightning by 5. That's how many miles away the storm is. Say, for example, you counted 10 seconds between the thunder and lightning. 10 divided by 5 equals 2. The storm is two miles away.

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Question: What should you do in a thunderstorm?

Answer: Get to shelter, such as a building or a car, quickly. If there is no shelter, get down on your hands and knees and tuck your head down. If your hair stands on end or you feel tingly, lightning is about to strike. Don't go near trees or water in a thunderstorm.

Enjoyed the Easy Science for Kids Website all about Thunder and Lightning info? Take the FREE & fun all about Thunder and Lightning quiz and download FREE Thunder and Lightning worksheet for kids. For lengthy info click here.

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Kaboom! Watching and listening to a thunderstorm can be exciting, but you wouldn't want to be out in it. All thunderstorms make lightning and lightning is dangerous. Lightning happens when ice and water particles bump around inside thunder clouds. As they bump into each other, they create an electric charge.