What Happens Inside a Thunderstorm — The Hidden Engine of Lightning, Rain, and Wind | RapidSmartFacts

Thunderstorms look beautiful and terrifying at the same time. But inside them is a powerful

engine of heat, motion, and electricity. Every thunderstorm starts with warm,

moist air rising rapidly from the ground. As the air rises,

it cools and the moisture it carries condenses into clouds. This condensation releases

heat, which makes the air rise even faster. These rising columns

of warm air are called updrafts the heart of a thunderstorm. Higher in the

cloud, temperatures drop below freezing. Droplets turn into ice crystals and

tiny hailstones. Updrafts lift these particles upward, then gravity pulls them back down.