Q: What phenomenon causes lightning and thunder in thunderstorms?

Arab Weather - The phenomenon that causes lightning and thunder in thunderstorms is the electrical discharge that occurs due to the accumulation of electrical charges in the clouds.

During thunderstorms, water droplets and ice in the clouds are moved by strong winds, causing friction between the particles and the accumulation of different electrical charges (positive and negative).

When there is a large difference in charges between parts of a cloud or between a cloud and the ground, an electrical discharge occurs in the form of a powerful spark called lightning. Lightning heats the air around it very quickly, causing the air to expand suddenly. This rapid expansion causes a sound wave that we hear as thunder.