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Thunderstorm Terminology
Thunderstorm — Updraft — Downdraft
Cold front — Cumulonimbus cloud
Latent heat — Isolated thunderstorms
Cloudburst — Precipitation — Hail
Thunderstorm
Updraft
Downdraft
Cold front
Cumulonimbus
cloud
Latent heat
Isolated
thunderstorms
an upward flow of air
lightning, thunder, rain, and dense clouds;
may include heavy rain, hail, and strong winds
leading edge of a mass of heavy, colder air
that is advancing
giant clouds piled on top of each other; top
spreads out in the shape of an anvil
a downward flow of air
heat released when water vapor condenses; is
the main driving energy of thunderstorms
short-lived storms with light winds; usually do
not produce violent weather on the ground
sudden and short-lived heavy rainfall that
usually occurs in a small area
any moisture that falls from clouds and
reaches the ground
balls of ice about .2 inch (5 mm) to 6 inches
(15 cm) that sometimes accompany storms
Cloudburst
Precipitation
Hail
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Thunderstorm Terminology
Dry thunderstorm — Thunder — Lightning
Bead lightning — Ball lightning — Microburst
Multiple-cell storms — Supercell
Mesocyclone — Tornado
Dry thunderstorm
Thunder
Lightning
Bead lightning
Ball lightning
Microburst
Multiple-cell storms
sound heard when lightning heats the air so
strongly and quickly it produces shock waves
a storm where all raindrops evaporate while
falling and none reach the ground
infrequent; looks like a string of bright spots;
also called chain lightning
rare; looks like a bright ball and occurs near
the ground; also called globe lightning
discharge of electricity after electric charges
on particles in clouds grow large enough
winds that hit the ground, fan out, and cause
a sudden change in wind direction or speed
storms where one cell grows stronger, then
weakens while another takes over; repeats
a large, dangerous, and powerful
thunderstorm that contains a mesocyclone
an air mass in a supercell that rotates rapidly
a violent windstorm where destructive winds
swirl, often in a funnel shape, over land
Supercell
Mesocyclone
Tornado
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Thunderstorm: lightning, thunder, rain, and dense clouds;
may include heavy rain, hail, and strong winds
Thunderstorm:/lightning,
thunder,/rain,/and///////
dense/clouds;/may///////
include/heavy/rain,/hail,/
and/strong/winds////////
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Updraft: an upward flow of air
Updraft:/an/upward////
flow/of/air///////////////
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Downdraft: a downward flow of air
Downdraft:/a////////////
downward/flow/of/air///
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Cold front: leading edge of a mass of heavy, colder air that
is advancing
Cold/front:/leading/////
edge/of/a/mass/of/////
heavy,/colder/air/that//
is/advancing/////////////
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Cumulonimbus cloud: giant clouds piled on top of each
other; top spreads out in the shape of an anvil
Cumulonimbus/cloud:////
giant/clouds/piled/on///
top/of/each/other;/top/
spreads/out/in/the//////
shape/of/an/anvil///////
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Latent heat: heat released when water vapor condenses; is
the main driving energy of thunderstorms
Latent/heat:/heat///////
released/when/water////
vapor/condenses;/is/the/
main/driving/energy/of/
thunderstorms///////////
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Isolated thunderstorms: short-lived storms with light winds;
usually do not produce violent weather on the ground
Isolated/thunderstorms:/
short-lived/storms/with/
light/winds;/usually/do//
not/produce/violent/////
weather/on/the/ground/
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Cloudburst: sudden and short-lived heavy rainfall that
usually occurs in a small area
Cloudburst:/sudden/////
and/short-lived/heavy//
rainfall/that/usually////
occurs/in/a/small/area//
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Precipitation: any moisture that falls from clouds and
reaches the ground
Precipitation:/any///////
moisture/that/falls//////
from/clouds/and////////
reaches/the/ground/////
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Hail: balls of ice about .2 inch (5 mm) to 6 inches (15 cm)
that sometimes accompany storms
Hail:/balls/of/ice////////
about/.2/inch/(5/mm)///
to/6/inches/(15/cm)/////
that/sometimes//////////
accompany/storms//////
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Dry thunderstorm: a storm where all raindrops evaporate
while falling and none reach the ground
Dry/thunderstorm:/a////
storm/where/all//////////
raindrops/evaporate////
while/falling/and/none//
reach/the/ground///////
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Thunder: sound heard when lightning heats the air so
strongly and quickly it produces shock waves
Thunder:/sound/heard///
when/lightning/heats////
the/air/so/strongly/and/
quickly/it/produces//////
shock/waves//////////////
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Lightning: discharge of electricity after electric charges on
particles in clouds grow large enough
Lightning:/discharge/of/
electricity/after/////////
electric/charges/on/////
particles/in/clouds///////
grow/large/enough//////
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Bead lightning: infrequent; looks like a string of bright
spots; also called chain lightning
Bead/lightning://////////
infrequent;/looks/like/a/
string/of/bright/spots;//
also/called/chain////////
lightning/////////////////
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Ball lightning: rare; looks like a bright ball and occurs near
the ground; also called globe lightning
Ball/lightning:/rare;/////
looks/like/a/bright/ball//
and/occurs/near/the////
ground;/also/called/////
globe/lightning//////////
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Microburst: winds that hit the ground, fan out, and cause a
sudden change in wind direction or speed
Microburst:/winds/that//
hit/the/ground,/fan/out,
and/cause/a/sudden////
change/in/wind//////////
direction/or/speed//////
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Multiple-cell storms: storms where one cell grows stronger,
then weakens while another takes over; repeats
Multiple-cell/storms:////
storms/where/one/cell///
grows/stronger,/then////
weakens/while/another/
takes/over;/repeats/////
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Supercell: a large, dangerous, and powerful thunderstorm
that contains a mesocyclone
Supercell:/a/large,///////
dangerous,/and//////////
powerful/thunderstorm/
that/contains/a//////////
mesocyclone/////////////
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Mesocyclone: an air mass in a supercell that rotates rapidly
Mesocyclone:/an/air////
mass/in/a/supercell/////
that/rotates/rapidly////
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Tornado: a violent windstorm where destructive winds
swirl, often in a funnel shape, over land
Tornado:/a/violent///////
windstorm/where/////////
destructive/winds/swirl,//
often/in/a/funnel///////
shape,/over/land////////
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