Why Is Thunder So Loud?

Cool Facts About Thunder

Thunder is indeed loud and can be a bit scary.  But why is thunder so loud?  First, let’s get some information about thunder and thunderstorms.  By definition, thunder is the sound that is produced when there’s a lightning flash.  Thunder is loud because there’s a rapid expansion of air.  So when you see those streaks of light in the clouds when it rains, that’s the lightning flashes and the sound that it makes is the thunder.

When a lightning strikes, the temperature around it goes up to 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit, which is actually hotter than the surface of the sun!  That’s why someone gets hit by lightning, there’s a cloud of smoke around them because they’ve literally been burnt by lightning.  That is also why kids are told to go inside when there’s a thunderstorm because lightning can strike at any moment.  Here’s some more cool facts about thunder and lightning:

• A thunderstorm has more explosive power than an atomic bomb.
• On rare occasions, lightning has been known to enter houses through phone lines and water pipes.
• In 1988, lightning in the Congo killed an entire soccer team of 11 players.  In 1999, lightning injured a whole football team in Colorado.
• Your chance of being struck by lightning is 1 in 600,000.

Source: “Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader For Kids Only”