Scattered Afternoon Thunderstorms

6/4/2018 (Permalink)

Hot and humid with scattered afternoon thunderstorms - another summer day in Alabama.

Scattered afternoon thunderstorms are a common way of life here in North Alabama during the summer months.  If you had a dollar for every time you've heard that phrase on the weather forecast, you could retire early and quite comfortably.

Here are some facts about thunderstorms you can use to impress your friends, co-workers, or kids. 

• The typical thunderstorm is 15 miles in diameter and lasts an average of 30 minutes. 
• Nearly 1,800 thunderstorms are happening at any moment around the world. That's 16 million a year!
• Every thunderstorm produces lightning, which kills more people each year than tornadoes.   
• You can estimate how many miles away a storm is by counting the number of seconds between the flash of lightning and the clap of thunder. Divide the number of seconds by five to get the distance in miles. 
• The lightning is seen before the thunder is heard because light travels faster than sound.
• Most thunderstorms form between 2:00 and 10:00 p.m. 
• A severe thunderstorm has winds at least 58 miles per hour or hail at least three-fourths of an inchin diameter.
• The Gulf Coast averages between 100 and 110 days per year with thunder reported, which eastern and northwest Alabama have 70 to 80 thunderstorm days per year.
• Occasionally, thunderstorms are severe with frequent lightning and large hail – the central and northern parts of Alabama are most vulnerable to this type of storm and are especially prone to tornadoes. 
• Alabama ranks seventh in the number of deaths from lightning and ninth in the number of deaths from lightning strikes per capita.  

Check out this previous blog post for safety tips and follow us on Twitter for more facts and tips.