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 massive July Fourth celebration on Washington's National Mall was evacuated on Saturday, due to an approaching severe thunderstorm, AFP reporters said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 4, 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

Europe-wide aviation agency Eurocontrol says Heathrow and Gatwick are the only two UK airports currently facing "heavy" delays related to the thunderstorm.

From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026

Something unpleasant is in the air around this place, like the electric charge before a thunderstorm.

From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell

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

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

If the fire is powerful enough and the atmosphere is unstable, that cloud can grow into a towering cumulonimbus - the same type of cloud associated with thunderstorms.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

However, some experts contend that area thunderstorms on Saturday might help alleviate and disperse the worst of the concerns.

From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026

It was a muggy, overcast night, with the feeling of thunderstorms in the air, but as long as it wasn’t raining, Alex enjoyed the walk.

From "The Dead and the Gone" by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Related Words

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