Monitor this timing to assess if the storm is approaching you or heading away. This is either because thunder is rarely heard more than 20 km away or because the atmospheric conditions lead to sound bending upwards and away from the surface. 6 seconds between the lightning and thunder would suggest the storm is 2km from you. Sometimes lightning may be seen but there is no thunder heard. Every 5 seconds between when you see lightning and when you hear the thunder is one. The length of this interval in seconds can be divided by three to give an approximate distance in kilometres. You can practice this with a clock to get the timing right if you want. Your distance from a thunderstorm can be estimated by measuring the time between seeing the lightning flash and the hearing the start of thunder. Both the lightning and thunder clap are generated simultaneously but with the speed of light at 299,792,458 m/s and the speed of sound at 340.29 m/s, there will be always be a gap between the two to the observer. Thunder will always be heard after the lightning strike is seen owing to the fact that light travels significantly faster than sound. When the sound of thunder has a rumbling quality, it is the sound waves reaching the listener at different times owing to the shape of the lightning strike. In rare cases, the sound of thunder at very close range has been known to cause injury to humans and damage to property. When a lightning strike is close, the thunder is heard as a loud clap or snapping sound. The intensity and type of sound heard by the listener depends upon the conditions on the atmosphere and how close the listener is to the lightning - the louder the thunder, the closer the lightning. Thunder lasts longer than lightning due to the time it takes for the sound to travel from different parts of the lightning channel.
#Time between thunder and lightning crack#
This intense heating causes the air to rapidly expand outward into the cooler air surrounding it creating a rippling shockwave which we hear as a rumbling thunder clap.ĭepending on its formation and location, this thunder clap can be heard as either a sudden, loud crack or a low, long rumble. When lightning strikes, the narrow channel of air through which it travels reaches temperatures of up to 30,000 ☌ almost instantly. The word thunder is derived from the 'Thor', the Norse god of thunder, known for his ability to forge thunderbolts.Įssentially, thunder is the sound produced by lightning.
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