Thunderstorm

A storm with thunder and lightning that is typically accompanied by heavy rain, gusty winds, and sometimes hail.

Thunderstorms can cause a suite of impacts including:

• Turbulence – the updraft and downdraft regions of a thunderstorm can cause severe turbulence.
• Lightning strikes – lightning strikes can strike an aircraft either on the ground or in flight.
• Icing – water droplets present in a thunderstorm may freeze on an aircraft producing icing conditions.
• Reduced visibility – heavy rain that accompanies thunderstorms can caused reduced visibility.
• Wind damage – both wind shear and microbursts can cause rapidly changing wind speeds, especially in the lower levels of the atmosphere that can be hazardous for takeoff and landings.
• Tornadoes – although most thunderstorms do not produce tornadoes, tornadoes can cause severe damage to aircrafts.
• Hail – thunderstorms that produce hail can damage aircraft.
• Flash flooding – heavy downpours in a short period of time can cause flash flooding on the ground.