Natural Disasters | Disaster Rally

How Do Blizzards Form, and Where do They Occur?

How do blizzards form, you might ask? Each season has its own mix of challenges to it. But some say that winter is the worst of them all. This chilly time of the year lowers the outdoor temperatures to below the zero mark. It sends cascades of thick ice so heavy that it breaks power lines and sends cars spinning into ditches when they attempt to drive over it. And there is also plenty of snow. While the people of the southernmost region of the United States dream up images of what it is like to have a white Christmas, those who live in the North know that snow is mostly a hassle to deal with, especially when heavy amounts of it get thrown about during a blizzard.

What Is a Blizzard?

Most snow storms pass within an hour or two. Sometimes, they last through the night, but there is only an accumulation of a few inches or so by the morning. The northern part of the United States is often hit with severe winter storms that can create snow drifts that are several feet deep. That is because the wind reaches speeds of over 35 miles per hour. The snow is scattered through the air over and over, which creates a white-out that no one can see through. If this wind speed is continued for at least three hours or more, and the visibility from the white-out is less than a quarter of a mile, weather experts consider this to be how blizzards form.

Some people think that there must be a heavy amount of snow falling from the sky for a snow storm to be considered a blizzard, but this isn’t true for how do blizzards form. The rate of snowfall actually has little to do with it. The wind is the key factor in the determination since it can pick up loose snow from the ground and carry it for long distances, especially if the snow is freshly fallen. Wet snow clumps together, so it reduces the likeliness of a blizzard occurring.

How Do Blizzards Form?

Many people might wonder how do blizzards form in the first place? Blizzards are caused by a collision of warm and cold air temperatures during the winter season. However, they can happen during the early spring too if the conditions are right. Hot temperatures from below the equator move to the northern half of the United States where they are met by cold weather sent from the arctic regions above. The hot air covers the cold air quickly since heat always rises. And this makes clouds begin to form.

Unlike warm air, there is very little moisture in cold air. So precipitation can’t develop at the same rate if there isn’t enough warm air. Once the clouds are thick with a plentiful amount of moisture, they release it in the form of rain. But if the temperature is below freezing, this rain will quickly form into ice crystals that begin to bind to each other until snowflakes are formed. Each snowflake is composed of about 200 different ice crystals. These snowflakes only make it so far down from the sky until the wind that is also created from the two pressure systems colliding together starts tossing them all about.

Why You Need to Take Precaution Measures

If there is already a significant amount of snow accumulated on the ground before the blizzard occurs, the blizzard will be worse than if there is little snow accumulation. As soon as the high winds start up, they will carry the ground snow with any snow that falls from the sky. This will increase the amount of snow in the air at one time.

During these severe blizzards, the visibility can be reduced to just a few feet in front of a person. Some people have frozen to death because they were stuck outdoors during the blizzard, just a short distance from where their house was. Since they couldn’t see, they couldn’t get inside in time.

Because of this, it is crucial that everyone stays inside during a blizzard and knows how blizzards form. Most people who live in areas where blizzards regularly hit usually keep extra food, water, and oil lamps to help them have light in case the power goes out. A small portable kerosene heater is needed for heat too.

Where Do Blizzards Occur the Most?

Because of the way that air moves throughout the United States, how do blizzards form in some places and not others? Certain areas that are far away from where the cold air from the North blows usually escape this type of winter snow storm. Such areas are the bottom half of Texas close to the Gulf of Mexico and California. But the states that are further up have no such luck. The Midwest and the Great Plains regions get hit the hardest since they are perfectly positioned to receive a combination of the hot and cold fronts.

Alaska and Washington get the most blizzards out of all of the states in North America. But the states that border the Great Lakes region get hit with them too. In fact, the blizzard that happened in January of 1975 was considered to be the worst blizzard that Ohio and other nearby states had in many years.

Blizzards don’t just happen in the United States, though. They can occur anywhere in the world. Even some places in the tropics have blizzards in their mountainous regions. Antarctica, Canada, and Russia get the most violent blizzards of all.

To Sum It All Up

In summary, there are three important factors that determine whether a snow storm is considered to be a blizzard and how do blizzards form. There must be high winds that reach over 35 miles per hour, less than a quarter of a mile of visibility because of the snow, and the high winds and limited visibility must continue for at least three hours straight. A blizzard can happen with any amount of snow. There doesn’t have to be any snow falling for one to occur. Blizzards can be started from the snow that is already on the ground. And lastly, the best thing to do if a blizzard develops is to stay inside until it is over.

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How Do Tornadoes Form and Where Do They Occur Most?

How do tornadoes form and why do we fear them so much? Tornadoes are the most violent storms that our weather can produce. They occur in very large thunderstorms under specific weather conditions. The United States sees roughly 1,200 tornadoes every year. They occur most often in the spring and early summer, and the most common times for them to occur are between 4 and 9 PM.

Tornadoes during rush hour are particularly dangerous because they can catch travelers unaware in their cars. This article will answer your questions about tornadoes including “how do tornadoes form?”.

What is a Tornado?

Tornadoes are measured by the Enhanced Fujita Scale. This scale is a more accurate version of the original Fujita scale, named after Dr. Ted Fujita who was a pioneer in discovering how do tornadoes form.

Tornadoes on this scale are given a rating from F0 to F5. The ratings were based on the severity and type of damage the tornado inflicts. As tornado research advanced, a panel of structural engineers and meteorologists used their collective experience with their knowledge of how do tornadoes form to improve the Fujita Scale and more accurately assess wind speeds.

The Enhanced Fujita scale has been in place since 2007 and rates wind speeds as followed:
EF-0: 65 to 85 MPH
EF-1: 86 to110 MPH
EF-2: 111 to135 MPH
EF-3: 136 to165 MPH
EF-4: 166 to 200 MPH
EF-5: 200+ MPH

An EF-5 tornado is incredibly devastating, able to destroy buildings and level well-built houses to the foundations. If you see clean slabs or foundations in the damage path of a tornado, it is likely an EF-5. EF-5s are rare, composing less than 1% of all tornadoes, but some unfortunate towns have seen more than their fair share. Moor Oklahoma suffered 2 F5 tornadoes—one in 1999 and the next in 2013.

How Do Tornadoes Form?

There was very little research to answer the question of how do tornadoes form until recently. With the development of special equipment and cars that can withstand the brute force of strong storms, intrepid storm chasers have added a wealth of knowledge to this research area over recent years.

When cold air fronts meet warm air, the accompanying storms combine to form a supercell. In this situation, warm air rises as cold air falls. If the temperature differences are extreme enough, this pattern of circulation happens so fast that it causes a tornado to appear. At this point, the answer to how do tornadoes form follows a very specific and predictable pattern:

First, the wind changes direction and wind speed increases.
As the change in wind speed increases in altitude, a horizontal spinning starts at the lower atmosphere.
Then, the air rises with the thunderstorms updrafts, causing the horizontal rotation to become vertical.
Finally, the lower cloud base becomes a wall cloud and a tornado forms. The area of rotation can be from 1 to 6 miles wide, wreaking an incredible path of destruction that can leave a house completely undamaged on one side of the street while completely destroying the house on the other.

Tornadoes carry out a particular lifecycle once they have formed. First, the rotating air (called the mesocyclone) starts moving toward the ground with the rear flank downdraft. Then, a small funnel builds at the lowest part of the wall cloud. When the rear flank downdraft hits the ground, the tornado becomes visible as it lifts dirt and debris. This is the point at which the funnel touches the ground and a tornado is officially formed.

The path of the tornado at this point depends on the rear flank downdraft. If it runs out of warm air, the tornado dies. This is why the most violent tornadoes occur with the most extreme temperature differences between cold and warm fronts.

Where Do Tornadoes Occur Most Often?

Tornadoes have occurred on literally every continent except for Antarctica. When studying how do tornadoes form, it is best to look at the latitudes between 30 degrees and 50 degrees in both hemispheres. This is where clashes between cold and warm fronts are most likely to take place.

In the U.S.A.

The United States is the tornado’s favorite stomping ground, with more than 1,200 occurrences a year. Most take place in the infamous tornado alley, which stretches throughout the central part of the nation in the Midwest. In contrast, Canada only sees roughly 100 tornadoes in a given year.

Of the Midwestern states, Texas and Oklahoma suffer the largest number of tornado outbreaks, with some areas averaging 9 or more tornadoes per 10,000 square miles per year. Florida, Indiana and Nebraska run a close second with 7 tornadoes per square mile per year. All of the states in tornado alley can expect at least three major tornadoes per 10,000 square miles per year, so most residents take precautions such as building specialize underground storm shelters or reinforced basements to shelter from the damaging winds and debris.

In states where basements are impractical because of extreme fluctuations in temperature, humidity and soil composition, tornado shelters usually consist of “hidey holes.” These shelters shallowly buried outside, close to the back door and are only large enough to provide short-term refuge for a family of four. They are usually made of plastic or metal and provide very secure protection from even F5 tornadoes for the duration of the storm.

Worldwide

Tornadoes are a rare occurrence in the rest of the world. New Zealand only sees roughly 20 or 30 in a year. Europe, Argentina, Africa, Australia, China, Japan, Bangladesh, Nepal and the Philippines all experience tornadoes, but they are a rare event compared to frequency in the United States Midwest.

It is highly recommended that any person who lives in a tornado prone area have underground protection from these storms. If no underground protection is available, the next best option is a bathtub with a mattress for protective covering. Failing that, the interior room of a building will have to do. Never try to weather a tornado in a car. The force of a direct tornado hit to a car can be equivalent to a 200 MPH crash. It is best to exit the vehicle and find a shallow ditch to wait out the storm.

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Where and How Do Hurricanes Form?

Among the most aggressive storms on Earth, hurricanes can reach as far as 600 miles wide. These storms form along the equator over temperate ocean waters and typically last over a week. Hurricanes require specific conditions to form and play an important role in moving heat from tropical regions to more temperate zones. Understanding where and how do hurricanes form is crucial to efficiently predict their impact and navigate the potential cataclysmic effects they can render.

What Is a Hurricane?

Also known as tropical cyclones, hurricanes are storms that form over tropical and subtropical waters. The storms are comprised of groups of organized thunderstorms with no fronts. To be classified as a hurricane the storm front must follow a rotating motion and be part of a low-pressure system. When these storms have surface winds less than 39 miles per hour, they are known as tropical depressions. As they pick up speed and reach win speeds of 39 miles per hour, they become known as tropical storms.

After a tropical storm reaches a maximum wind speed of 74 miles per hour, it becomes known as a hurricane. Hurricanes are classified by their relative wind speed using the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, which has a numerical rating from 1 to 5. The higher the number or category a hurricane is given, the greater potential it has for damage.

In theory, hurricanes may occur nearly any time. However, they are most common during “Hurricane Season” between June 1 and November 30. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Hurricane Center predicts and tracks these storm systems. It has found that they often occur around 12 times per year in the Atlantic basin.

How Do Hurricanes Form?

Tropical cyclones require specific conditions to form. The first component needed for a hurricane to begin forming is warm, moist air. This air serves as the “fuel” needed for the storm to engage and further develop. The warm, moist air needed only forms over warm ocean water, which is why these cyclones form almost exclusively in the tropics regions where the ocean temperature is warmer – typically 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

In addition to warm, moist air, the storm also needs wind to form. This wind must pass over the ocean’s surface, causing water to evaporate and rise. This movement and the subsequent rising of the water vapor causes it to cool and condense into water droplets. The condensation forms large cumulonimbus clouds that are one of the first indicators that a storm is brewing.

Meteorologists who study how do hurricanes form have divided the development of hurricanes into four stages: tropical disturbance, tropical depression, tropical storm, and tropical cyclone.

1. Tropical Disturbance

As water vapor that arises from warm ocean water condenses, it forms clouds and releases heat into the air. This heated air rises and forms columns of clouds. Evaporation and condensation persist and build the columns of clouds taller and wider. A pattern begins to develop, and wind begins circulating down the center. As this moving formation broaches additional clouds, a cluster of thunderstorms is formed, which is known as a tropical disturbance.

2. Tropical Depression

As the group of thunderstorm clouds grows ever taller and wider, air at the height of the cloud column begins cooling, making it unstable. The process of cooling water vapor releases heat energy, so the air at the top of the column becomes warmer. This increase in temperature as increases the air pressure, making winds move outward and away from the high pressure area. Continued movement and warming forces the pressure at the surface to drop. This creates a cycle in which the air at the surface shifts toward the lower pressure areas, rises, and generates additional thunderstorms. Wind in the columns begins spinning faster, creating a circular spinning motion. As the winds reach speeds between 25 and 39 miles per hour, the storm becomes known as a tropical depression.

3. Tropical Storm

As the storm picks up additional speed and winds reach a rate of 39 miles per hour, the depression develops into what is known as a tropical storm. The winds also begin blowing faster and start twisting and turning around the eye, or the still center, of the storm. In the northern hemisphere, wind direction moves from west to east, and in the southern hemisphere, it moves east to west. This unique phenomenon is known as the Coriolis Effect.

4. Tropical Cyclone

As the storm continues to pick up speed reaches wind speeds of 74 miles per hour, the storm officially becomes known as a tropical cyclone. At this point, the storm is likely at least 50,000 feet high and nearly 125 miles across, and the eye is between 5 and 30 miles wide. The movement of the wind and the force of the pressure in the air, create a mound of water at the base of the storm, which can cause catastrophic storm surges as the storm moves inland.

Where Do Hurricanes Occur Most Often?

Knowing how do hurricanes form is not the only thing that helps understand these storms. Knowing where they occur is also important.

To form, hurricanes need all of the right “ingredients.” As such, these tropical storms occur near shores and coastlines. In particular, the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans produce the largest number of tropical cyclones. More specifically, the West Pacific tends to generate far more hurricanes than the Atlantic. Depending on where the storm generates, a number of areas may be impacted, including the Philippines, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and the southern United States, including Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

To date, only one hurricane has ever formed in the South Atlantic – Hurricane Catarina – because of how do hurricanes form. Most Atlantic cyclones form between August and September.

In any case, the atmosphere has a lot to do with the creation of tropical storms because of how do hurricanes form.

To form, the right conditions must align, including:

• Warm sea-surface temperatures, typically greater than 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Weak vertical wind shear.
• Moist, unstable atmosphere.
• Appropriate distance in relation to the equator.

Hurricanes are unique storm systems that form under very specific atmospheric conditions. They occur in the tropics and most often in the Pacific. A tropical storm develops through four stages before becoming a full-fledged hurricane. Once formed, hurricanes often continue moving until they encounter a force that slows them down.

In many cases, that means that the storm will continue moving until it meets land where it is no longer being fed by the energy necessary to drive them. Recent weather research and tracking has given meteorologists more information on how do hurricanes form, allowing them to predict and even mediate tropical storms more effectively.

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How Are Earthquakes Formed + Top Earthquake States

How are earthquakes formed? Earthquakes have been disrupting human civilization for centuries. Believe it or not, some archeologists now think that earthquakes were at the root of all major societal changes in the ancient world. Earth Science professors at Stanford University have shown archeological evidence that earthquakes could have caused the downfall of civilizations in Central America, the Eastern Mediterranean, and South Asia in the ancient world.

Unfortunately, we have not escaped the destabilizing power of the earthquake in modern times. Everyone’s first line of defense is to know all about earthquakes and have a full-proof safety plan in case one erupts unexpectedly. In this article, we’ll answer basic questions like how are earthquakes formed, plus we’ll give you a few tips to prepare yourself for one.

What Is An Earthquake?

People often define earthquakes as a sudden and violent shaking of the earth’s surface. If you’ve ever felt an earthquake before, you’ll be aware of these symptoms. But what is really taking place in the earth to cause these earthquakes? How are earthquakes formed? Well, earthquakes usually occur when two blocks of the earth violently slip apart. Geologists call the area of the slip a “fault plane.” The epicenter of the quake occurs on the surface of the earth, whereas the hypocenter of the earthquake is down below wherever the earthquake originated.

You might notice some foreshocks before the real earthquake begins. These foreshocks are much smaller than the actual earthquake, and they only affect a small portion of the earth’s surface. The term “main shock” is used to describe the full impact of the earthquake. After the main shock, you’re most likely going to experience some aftershocks from the earthquake. These aftershocks can last days, weeks, months, or years, depending on the strength of the earthquake.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimates that over 500,000 detectable earthquakes occur around the world each year. We can feel about 100,000 of these earthquakes on the surface of our earth. Generally, 100 of them do massive damage. Geologists today are blessed with best seismographic technology, however, it’s just not enough.

How Are Earthquakes Formed?

To answer the question “how are earthquakes formed,” we have to learn a bit more about some basic geology. There are four major layers of the earth that you’ve probably already heard of: the inner core, the outer core, the mantle, and the crust. When looking at a geological drawing, you can see that the mantle and crust on our earth’s surface are both extremely thin. Not only are these layers thin, they are split up into various pieces we call “tectonic plates.” Located at the edge of each of these plates are “plate boundaries.”

Plates can either be oceanic or continental. Oceanic plates are, as the name suggests, under the ocean, and continental plates are above the ocean. Tectonic plates have always been moving against each other from time immemorial. Since these tectonic plates rub against each other so much, it makes sense that most earthquakes occur on their boundaries.

So, the simple answer to the question “how are earthquakes formed” is “the movement of tectonic plates.” These boundary areas have many faults, which causes a greater number of earthquakes on the earth’s surface. Once two faults get stuck, the blocks continue to move, and the energy once used to slide against each other causes the whole earth’s surface to shake. After the two plates finally release, all of that energy is let out on the earth’s surface. Now you finally know how to answer the question “how are earthquakes formed?”

Where Do Earthquakes Occur Most Often?

Worldwide

When looking at a map of fault lines around the world, it is quite easy to see what countries, nations, and states face a great earthquake risk. As we saw in our section on “how are earthquakes formed,” you should expect the most powerful earthquakes to occur by fault lines. For example, there’s a fault line going right through New Zealand. New Zealand has experienced 30,958 earthquakes in the past year alone.

In the U.S.

In terms of the USA, it might surprise some people that Alaska is the number one state when it comes to earthquakes. The USGS says that the earthquakes in Alaska often go underreported. Alaska experiences about 50 percent of all the earthquakes in the USA. They often range in magnitude between 3.5 and 4.0. Unfortunately, the world’s most destructive earthquakes have occurred in The Last Frontier.

Almost all of most powerful earthquakes in the world occurred in Alaska, including the most destructive earthquake of all: the 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake. It had a magnitude of 9.2, caused a tsunami, killed 131 people, and caused $2.3 billion dollars in property loss. Other huge earthquakes that have occurred in Alaska include the Rat Islands Earthquake of 1965 (magnitude 8.7), the Andreanof Islands Earthquake in 1957 (magnitude 8.6), and the Shumagin Islands Earthquake of 1938 (magnitude 8.2).

The number two state on the USGS’s list, California, won’t surprise most people. How are earthquakes formed in California, you may ask? Well, the San Andreas Fault runs along the entire side of the Golden State. The very first earthquake recorded in this region took place in 1769 near Los Angeles. The Gaspar de Portola exploratory group recorded this first of many earthquakes in the region.

Scientists estimate that southern California has around 10,000 earthquakes annually. A few hundred of these earthquakes are above a magnitude of 3.0, and only about 15 are above a 4.0. The most powerful earthquake to have ever occurred in California was the 7.9 magnitude Fort Tejon Earthquake in 1857.

A Word of Ending

Earthquakes can occur anywhere at anytime. No matter where you live, it’s a good idea to prepare yourself for the worst-case scenario. You should have all your critical medications, documents, and supplies of water stored in a safe area. Always inquire whether a building is earthquake proof before working or living there. Once you start to feel the trembling of an earthquake, it’s important to secure heavy and/or dangerous items so they won’t injure anyone.

The most important things to remember during an earthquake are to “drop, cover, and hold on.” This phrase means, drop to your hands and knees, cover your head and neck, and hold on to something sturdy until the tremors stop. People in cars should stay in them until the earthquake passes. Earthquakes are a natural occurrence, but they can cause great damage if we’re not vigilant. Be sure you have a plan to keep you and you loved ones safe in case of an earthquake.

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Fun Thunderstorm Facts For Your General Culture

Thunderstorms are the kind of natural phenomenon that will always make your kids cry and dogs bark. They’re loud and powerful, but are they dangerous? With the following thunderstorm facts, you’ll be able to draw this conclusion yourself by learning the basics of thunderstorms.

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What Do We Consider A Thunderstorm?

First things first, we need to answer the most important question: what even do we classify as a thunderstorm? What sets them apart from a normal storm? As thunderstorm facts have it, you may be witnessing one when you look at the sky and you see constant flashes caused by lightning. Lightning is the main “player” in this phenomenon, which is why you may hear other people refer to it as an “electrical storm” as well.

They are typically accompanied by rain and winds, like all storms, but that’s actually not mandatory. You may say that you’re witnessing a thunderstorm if thunder and lightning are chaotically unleashing their power upon us all.

So, it’s basically a storm with a lot of thunder and lightning? Great! What interesting thunderstorm facts could there possibly be?

#1 Strongest Thunderstorms

Experts are keeping a tight leash on thunderstorms and they have studied them long enough to be able to gather significant data for a proper classification. There are many ways through which one can classify thunderstorms, but what really interests us most is the one that can cause the most damage: a supercell.

Supercells are defined by the presence of a mesocyclone, a rotating updraft which led many to double these thunderstorms as “rotating thunderstorms” as well.

#2 Scorching Lightning

Lighting conveys extremely high temperatures. The average temperature of lightning is around 20.000 Celsius/36.000 Fahrenheit degrees. Because of this, lightning can be a huge environmental hazard, being able to set ablaze surrounding vegetation. Lightning is one of the main natural causes of wildfire.

#3 Thunder Blast

When we are children, we often wonder what the deal with thunder is and finding out its relation to lightning is one of the most fascinating thunderstorm facts you could put out. The intense heat of lightning causes surrounding air to rapidly expand. This leads to the generation of a powerful sonic wave. And, thus, thunder is born.

Because light is faster than light, we always hear the sound of thunder AFTER a lightning strikes across the sky. As a bonus dose of thunderstorm facts, you can pinpoint whether a storm is nearby or pulling away depending on the thunder delay. The longer it takes for you to hear the thunder after a lightning flash, the further it’s getting away from you.

#4 Scheduled Time

Thunderstorms can occur all year round, but there are certain times when it’s more likely for one to swirl up and unleash its power. Spring and summer months are more prone to the apparition of thunderstorms. Moreover, the time of the day has a say in all of this too. There is a higher probability for this lightning phenomenon to make itself known during the afternoon or evening.

#5 Dangerous Assistance

Lightning and wind aren’t the only dangerous and bothersome elements of a thunderstorm. Very frequently, they also come with something called hail. In case you didn’t know, hail forms when water drops get caught in a storm’s updraft. They ascend into the sky to the point where they freeze and get heavier.

The extra weight is going to result in them falling down. Those drops that are still not heavy enough are going to continue floating and adding more layers of ice. This will happen until there is enough weight to allow them to drop to the ground. In shorter terms, you may say that hail is the equivalent of an ice rain. It can be a pretty dangerous phenomenon. No one would be particularly elated to get hit over the head with pieces of ice. Let’s not even mention the possible damage to property such as cars.

#6 Making Severity

There are certain factors which can lead to someone classifying a thunderstorm as severe. One of the factors is producing hail of a diameter of at least three quarters of an inch. Curtsy to all of these thunderstorm facts, we reckon we understand why anyone would find them worthy of a “severe” label.

Experts may raise a red flag when the wind whips at everything in its path at speeds of over 50 miles per hour. Last, but definitely not least, some thunderstorms may even produce a tornado, which actually goes beyond “severe” and enters “downright dangerous” territory. Approximately ten percent of thunderstorms are classified as severe.

#7 Most Unfortunate

Just like with every troublesome weather phenomenon, there are some locations around the world that are much more likely to see the development of a thunderstorm. This place is Kampala, Uganda’s capital. There is an average of 240 days every year “dedicated” just to thunderstorms alone.

#8 Big Numbers

Thunderstorm facts are many and so are these electrical storms. Observes have estimated that, worldwide, there are over 16 million thunderstorms happening every year. In fact, even at the moment of this reading, there are a grand total of approximately 2,000 thunderstorms taking place right now. The US alone “benefits” from over 100,000 thunderstorms on a yearly basis.

#9 Primitive Beliefs

It took a while for people to understand the mechanisms of thunder and lightning. During ancient times, philosophers such as the great Aristotle believed that thunder was the result of clouds colliding with each other. It’s also well known that many attributed the apparition of lightning and thunder to various deities. Perhaps the most famous of them all is Thor, appearing in Norse mythology as the son of Odin.

#10 Thunderstorm Recipe

A thunderstorm needs three things in order to materialize:

Moisture: It helps form clouds and rain;
Unstable warm air: Warm air tends to rise faster and, thus, it enhances the likelihood of thunder clouds forming;
Lift forces: Thunderstorms are more likely to happen in areas that contain certain forces which can help lift the air further. Examples of such forces are fronts, mountains, and sea breezes.

Conclusion

Did you like these thunderstorm facts? How many of them did you know already? And since we mentioned one question in the beginning, let’s answer it now. Are thunderstorms dangerous? Are gatherings of lightning that can strike down people and start wildfires dangerous? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. But they’re also pretty spectacular to look at.