thunderstorm

American  

[thuhn-der-stawrm] / ˈθʌn dərˌstɔrm /

noun

• thunderstorms
  plural

1. a transient storm of lightning and thunder, usually with rain and gusty winds, sometimes with hail or snow, produced by cumulonimbus clouds.

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thunderstorm British  

/ ˈθʌndəˌstɔːm /

noun

1. a storm caused by strong rising air currents and characterized by thunder and lightning and usually heavy rain or hail

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thunderstorm Scientific  

/ thŭn′dər-stôrm′ /

1. A storm of heavy rain accompanied by lightning, thunder, wind, and sometimes hail. Thunderstorms occur when moist air near the ground becomes heated, especially in the summer, and rises, forming cumulonimbus clouds that produce precipitation. Electrical charges accumulate at the bases of the clouds until lightning is discharged. Air in the path of the lightning expands as a result of being heated, causing thunder. Thunderstorms can also be caused by temperature changes triggered by volcanic eruptions and forest fires, and they occur with much greater frequency at the equatorial regions than in polar regions.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• thunderstorms
  plural

Etymology

Origin of thunderstorm

First recorded in 1645–55; thunder + storm

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

thunderstorm thunderstorms

While thunderstorms are common in the region of this fire, thunderstorm conditions after three successive heatwaves is a new combination.

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

A student in Huanggang told the BBC that he had thought it was "just an ordinary thunderstorm", until he saw "things started flying through the air outside" the dormitory window.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

Some worked 30-hour shifts in triple-digit heat and a flash heavy thunderstorm Friday evening as the celebration continued into the early hours of Saturday morning, keeping personnel on site through sunrise.

From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026

And, during the group stage here, France’s win over Iraq in Philadelphia was delayed for 2 hours and 11 minutes because of a major thunderstorm.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026

The air around Diego vibrated the way it does before a thunderstorm, warning me that worse was coming.

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson

For Sunday and Monday, there’s also a risk of monsoonal thunderstorms over the mountains of Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside and Ventura counties and the Antelope Valley.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026

The heatwave impacting parts of the UK this week continues into Tuesday with a risk of thunderstorms in some parts.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

Total losses from U.S thunderstorms came to $30 billion, with insured losses at $22 billion, below the 10-year average, according to the reinsurer’s figures.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

The intensity of the fires has created large, fire-fueled thunderstorms, known as pyrocumulonimbus clouds, for the first time in France’s recent history.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

Harry knew better than to think the match would be canceled; Quidditch matches weren’t called off for trifles like thunderstorms.

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling

Related Words

• deluge
• downpour
• drizzle
• flood
• hail
• rain
• rainstorm
• sleet
• storm