What Causes a ‘Thunderstorm’ and How Is It Different from a ‘Tornado’?

Thunderstorms happen when warm, moist air rises quickly and meets cold air above it. This makes the clouds grow really big and powerful, like a giant bubble in the sky. A tornado is just a thunderstorm that spins super fast because of wind changes inside it. It’s like when you swirl your soup with a spoon, and it forms a little whirlpool.

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Examples

A summer day gets hot, then a cold front moves in, boom! A big storm clouds up.
Rain starts falling, and the sky turns dark. Suddenly, you hear a loud noise, that’s thunder!
A funnel cloud forms from the storm, and it touches the ground, now you’ve got a tornado.

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Categories: Science · weather,thunderstorm,tornado,atmosphere,science for kids