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

A yellow thunderstorm warning has been issued by the Met Office for parts of Northern Ireland on Tuesday.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 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 30th edition of the Garorock music festival in Marmande just south of Bordeaux was called off Sunday after the prefecture issued a thunderstorm warning.

From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026

It felt like a thunderstorm about to break.

From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older

More thunderstorms are expected in parts of north-east Scotland later on Wednesday.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

Further south, most places will stay dry, warm and humid, although a few thunderstorms could develop across south-east England.

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

As summer heat settles over the Southwest, it changes the circulation in the atmosphere enough to pull up monsoonal moisture from the Pacific and Gulf of California, fueling warm rain and thunderstorms.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

Scattered thunderstorms pummeled Florida’s east coast, with wind gusts up to fifty miles per hour.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

Related Words

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