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Stormy weather
Lightning strikes when
electricity builds up in clouds.
The electricity is created when ice
crystals in the clouds rub against
each other. A bolt of lightning
heats the air around it so quickly
that the air explodes, creating the
rumbling noise we call thunder.
Twisters
Tornadoes
(twisters) are
whirling funnels
of wind that form
beneath massive
thunderclouds.
The fierce wind
can do enormous
damage, and the
funnel can suck
up debris like a
gigantic vacuum
cleaner.
Wildfires
Long periods of hot or dry weather
can make plants dry out so much that
they catch fire easily when struck by
lightning. This can lead to a raging
wildfire that burns down whole forests.
Weather
Winds on the move
Wind is moving air. Warm
air rises and cool air sinks.
This movement is what
makes the wind blow.
The brightest bolts
of lightning travel
upwards from the
ground to the clouds.
A hurricane is thousands of times bigger than a tornado.
In certain conditions
hailstones can grow to be
enormous. The biggest ever
hailstone weighed
1 kg (2 lb) and was
over 40 cm (16 in)
across!
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