Why is the storm so noisy?

Summer and heat storms go hand in hand. If you are wondering how thunder is formed and why a storm is so noisy, you will find the answer a few lines below.

Thunder is a loud sound made by lightning. Lightning is the reason we hear thunder. The flash is very hot. It is five times hotter than the surface of the Sun. When it forms, it suddenly heats the air up to 99 °C. Lightning heats the air around it so quickly that it expands very quickly. When you heat something, it expands - it expands. The air around the lightning expands so quickly that it creates a shock wave in the air. That shock wave is the thunder you hear.

Lightning does not always create thunder. In April 1885, five bolts of lightning struck the Washington Monument during a storm, yet no thunder was heard.

Why is thunder so loud?

This is because the amount of electrical energy that flows from the cloud to the ground is so huge and powerful. Think of it as a very large waterfall of electricity.

The louder the sound you hear, the closer you are to the lightning. Light travels through air much faster than sound. That's why sometimes you first see lightning, and then a few seconds later you hear thunder. If you see lightning and immediately hear thunder, then lightning is very close to you. Thunder is generally considered to be a low sound and reaches about 20 to 80 Hz , all depending on the distance of the storm from you.

By the way, did you know that thunder is not only heard during a storm? Hearing thunder when it's snowing is unusual, but not rare.

Thunder can damage your hearing

The human inner ear begins to be damaged at 90 decibels for 1 hour. But at 120-150-180 dB, the ear is damaged immediately. Thunder reaches a level of around 120 dB, but if the lightning strikes only a few tens of meters from you - and it is still positively charged, the sound level can climb even above 150 dB.

Therefore, you should watch the storm from the safety of your home. In addition to not being at risk of being struck by lightning, the house has soundproofing properties and protects your hearing. Don't underestimate either professional soundproofing of the house. You can enjoy a quiet sleep there while a noisy storm is raging outside.