1. Severe Weather

2. Thunderstorms A thunderstorm is a rain shower during which you hear thunder. Since thunder comes from lightning, all thunderstorms have lightning. Thunderstorms have three stages in their life cycle: The developing stage, the mature stage, and the dissipating stage Worldwide, there are an estimated 16 million thunderstorms each year, and at any given moment, there are roughly 2,000 thunderstorms in progress. There are about 100,000 thunderstorms each year in the U.S. alone. About 10% of these reach severe levels

3. Lightning & Thunder Lightning is a giant spark of electricity in the atmosphere between clouds, the air, or the ground. Lightning is a bright flash of electricity produced by a thunderstorm. All thunderstorms produce lightning and are very dangerous. If you hear the sound of thunder, then you are in danger from lightning. Have you ever rubbed your feet across carpet and then touched a metal door handle? If so, then you know that you can get shocked! Lightning works in the same way Lightning is approximately 54,000 degrees Fahrenheit. That is six times hotter than the surface of the sun! Lightning is one of the oldest observed natural phenomena on earth. It can be seen in volcanic eruptions, extremely intense forest fires,, heavy snowstorms, in large hurricanes, and obviously, thunderstorms. Lightning causes thunder! Energy from a lightning channel heats the air to around 18,000 degrees Fahrenheit. This causes the air to rapidly expand, creating a sound wave known as thunder

4. Hurricanes A hurricane is a huge storm! It can be up to 600 miles across and have strong winds spiraling inward and upward at speeds of 75 to 200 mph. Each hurricane usually lasts for over a week, moving 10-20 miles per hour over the open ocean. Hurricanes gather heat and energy through contact with warm ocean waters. Evaporation from the seawater increases their power. Hurricanes rotate in a counter-clockwise direction around an "eye" in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise direction in the Southern Hemisphere. The center of the storm or "eye" is the calmest part. It has only light winds and fair weather. The Atlantic hurricane season is from June 1 to November 30, but most hurricanes occur during the fall months. The Eastern Pacific hurricane season is from May 15 to November 30.

5. Pictures of hurricanes

6. Hurricane or Typhoon? What is the difference between a hurricane, tropical cyclone and typhoon? Nothing except geography. Tropical storms occur in several of the world's oceans, and except for their names, they are essentially the same type of storm. In the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and the Eastern Pacific Ocean, they are called hurricanes. In the Western Pacific Ocean, they are called typhoons. In the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal, and Australia, these types of storms are called cyclones.

7. Tornados A tornado is a narrow, violently rotating column of air that extends from the base of a thunderstorm to the ground. Because wind is invisible, it is hard to see a tornado unless it forms a condensation funnel made up of water droplets, dust and debris. Tornadoes are the most violent of all atmospheric storm Tornadoes occur in many parts of the world, including Australia, Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America. Even New Zealand reports about 20 tornadoes each year. Two of the highest concentrations of tornadoes outside the U.S. are Argentina and Bangladesh. Tornadoes can happen at any time of year. Tornadoes can also happen at any time of day or night, but most tornadoes occur between 4–9 p.m.

8. Hail, Sleet & Freezing Rain Hail occurs during severe weather and not when it is freezing outside. Hail is formed when an object, including dust or particles in the air, collides with supercooled water. As the water freezes around the object, it begins to form an ice pellet. It is formed by cumulonimbus clouds and can be linked with a thunderstorm. Sleet occurs during winter weather and is a type of winter precipitation. Sleet is frozen precipitation that falls as ice pellets that you may see bouncing off your windshield, roof or the ground. Depending on the intensity and duration, sleet can accumulate much like you see with snow. Freezing rain on the other hand, falls just like normal rain only it freezes on contact with roads, trees, power lines and other structures since temperatures are 32 degrees or below at the surface. Even light accumulations may cause dangerous travel, while heavier amounts can be damaging. *Rain is the most common type of precipitation

9. Floods Flooding when water overflows onto land that is normally dry. Floods can happen during heavy rains, when ocean waves come on shore, or when snow melts too fast. Flooding may happen with only a few inches of water, or it may cover a house to the rooftop. They can occur quickly or over a long period and may last days, weeks, or longer. Floods are the most common and widespread of all weather- related natural disasters. Flash floods are the most dangerous kind of floods, they are unpredictable and fast. They can happen with little or no warning.

10. Watch vs. Warning A WATCH is issued when the conditions are favorable for a severe weather event. It can cover parts of a state or several states. A WARNING mean there is a serious threat to life and property to those in the path of the storm. ACT now to find safe shelter! A warning can cover parts of counties or several counties in the path of danger