Thunder and lightning

[Frank Drebin]

...outside now. Just saw an excellent bolt of lightning crack across the sky, ace.

 

[Lao]

Same here. No rain though

 

[Ring master]

Yeah and ive just been caught in the heavy rain taking dog out for walk ,it always waits for me,lightning is blinding at times

 

[Deleted member 28206]

Yeah, thought it was Kirkby lids then went into the extension and seen lightening.

Odd.

Not been warm.

 

[Frank Drebin]

I love it when youre somewhere rural in a proper thunderstorm, I love just wandering around in the maelstrom getting lashed by nature's tongue. Also magic mushrooms are ace too.

 

[Lao]

Raining now. 10 seconds between lightning and thunder, is that supposed to be 10 miles away?

 

[padefc]

had a few rumbles in l 25

 

[little old me]

I am proper scared of thunder and lightning but I am a women so it's allowed

 

[Frank Drebin]

Raining now. 10 seconds between lightning and thunder, is that supposed to be 10 miles away?

I wish that was true, was gutted when I discovered i'd been counting pointlessly all my childhood. I had it ruined for me by New Scientist but can't be bothered finding the cite. Here's a copy and paste job from the bbc website, im not an expert so I can't vouch for their calculations:

Air around the discharge channel is heated to about 30,000 C (55,000 F). The sound of thunder is made by heated air expanding very rapidly and causing soundwaves. Thunder rumbles because you get soundwaves coming from different parts of the storm. The speed of sound (760 mph, 1224 km/h) is very much less than the speed of light (186,000 mp/s, 300,000 km/s). So you see a lightning flash almost immediately it happens while the sound can take several seconds to reach an observer. If you count the gap between the lighting and the thunder, you can tell how far away the storm is. For every kilometre count 3 seconds, for every mile count 5 seconds. So if you count 15 seconds, the storm is 5 km or 3 m away from where you are.

 

[Dylan]

You have to remember lots of things will effect the speed of sound. Air pressure and humidity being two prime culprits. But figure 760mph (man, its close enough). That means it will do 12.6 miles per minute, meaning 0.2 miles per second. So the 5 second per mile is perfectly accurate.

 

[Frank Drebin]

You have to remember lots of things will effect the speed of sound. Air pressure and humidity being two prime culprits. But figure 760mph (man, its close enough). That means it will do 12.6 miles per minute, meaning 0.2 miles per second. So the 5 second per mile is perfectly accurate.

Good old Auntie Beeb. I was talking about being told as a kid it was a mile for every second though. I think I took it harder finding out that than discovering there's no Father Christmas (apologies young readers).

 

[Lao]

Good old Auntie Beeb. I was talking about being told as a kid it was a mile for every second though. I think I took it harder finding out that than discovering there's no Father Christmas (apologies young readers).

Whaaaaaat!

 

[Frank Drebin]

Whaaaaaat!

There is, there is! Its ok im on glue thats all. In fact, is that sleigh bells I hear outside?

 

[Lao]

There is, there is! Its ok im on glue thats all. In fact, is that sleigh bells I hear outside?

Phew! For a moment there I thought you were serious. I've already written my letter.

 

[spikeman]

Raining now. 10 seconds between lightning and thunder, is that supposed to be 10 miles away?

2 miles