LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Thunder is created by the acoustic shock wave from the extreme heat of a lightning flash. Lightning can reach temperatures of 54,000°F (30,000°C)—five times hotter than the ...

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Have you ever wondered why thunder can have different sounds? A crack versus a rumble? Startlingly loud versus calmingly low? Let’s dive in … The basics: what is thunder? Electrical ...

An MLive reader has a question about why the thunder earlier this week was so loud and lasted a long time. There are two valid reasons. Elizabeth emailed me asking, “A couple days ago the storms we ...

All gases expand when the temperature increases, so when lightning superheats the air at just a fraction of a second, the air expands so rapidly that it compresses the air in front of it. Thunder is ...