Thunderstorm

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Thunderstorm, rain cloud or clouds that produce thunder and lightning. Thunderstorms are very tall clouds that extend from near the ground up to, and often slightly above, the top of the troposphere, the bottom layer of the atmosphere. A thunderstorm has a characteristic cylindrical or slight hour-glass shape with a puffy, cauliflower texture. Clouds with this texture are called cumulus, and clouds that produce rain are called nimbus. Because thunderstorms are a combination of these two, they are called cumulonimbus clouds. Many thunderstorms develop an anvil-shaped top as the top is sheared by high-altitude wind. Severe thunderstorms can produce hail, strong winds, and tornadoes. Weak thunderstorms are called thundershowers. Some thundershowers are so weak that they produce virga, which is rain falling from the cloud that evaporates before reaching the ground.

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