Thunder and lightning are two of the natural phenomena best known to all of us. However, in many cases we are not very clear about how they differ and why they occur. What’s more, we tend to confuse electrical discharge with sound generated by light. Below we explain how the two phenomena differ: when they occur together, a true sound and visual spectacle arises. Thunder and lightning: what is the difference? We are going to start by knowing in detail what lightning is. It is called as such the glow that is generated in the clouds when an electrical discharge occurs. It is a very brief glow, lasting only a few seconds, and unlike lightning, it does not touch the earth’s surface. As for thunder, it is the sound you hear during a thunderstorm. It appears just after the lightning strike, when the lightning heats the air to a temperature above 28,000 degrees Celsius. Therefore, when a thunderstorm occurs, the first thing we observe is the glow of the lightning and, immediately after, the sound of the Thunder. Why it occurs in this order has a very logical explanation, and it is that light travels at 300,000 kilometers per second, while sound travels at a speed of 340 meters per second. Thunderstorms: why do they occur? of special interest to know the reason why thunderstorms occur. They take place when hot, humid air rises to such a height that it ends up colliding with cold, dry air. As the humid air gains height, a process of condensation begins with the water vapor and clouds that are called cumulonimbus appear. Thunderstorms can be of two types:ordinary or severe. As its name suggests, the former are the most frequent and usually last around 90 minutes. In the vast majority of cases they are accompanied by hail and rainfall, while severe storms are much more dangerous, and are accompanied by strong winds, windsocks or large hail. The rains are usually heavy and cause flooding, these are the main differences between thunder and lightning. Although many people are afraid of storms, there is no doubt that the combination of both results in a truly fascinating natural phenomenon.