It's neither because it's an erroneous statement. Thunder is the sound made by lightning; it therefore cannot precede the lightning flash because the lightning flash travels at the speed of light and the thunder travels much more slowly at the speed of sound.
you are probably hearing the thunder from a different lightning strike.
Lightning can strike and kill you, or start fires. Thunder can't hurt anyone.
A typical lightning strike lasts for about 0.2 to 0.3 seconds.
By listening for the thunder. When you see a prominent lightning strike, start counting "one thousand one, one thousand two", etc. Each of those is about one second. There are five seconds in every mile (sound travels 1/5th of a mile per second). If you count to fifteen, the lightning strike is three miles away. Lightning and thunder occur at the same instant when the lightning strike is very close to you, and the thunder will sound more like a cymbal crash.
No, it doesn't need to rain for thunder and lightning to occur because the thunder and lightning need cold and warm air so they collide. The clouds are like big batteries and the lightning is the short circuit. also the lightning can be between the clouds and it doesn't strike down to the ground. also if the clouds have temperature conditions and it doesn't have to rain it just creates thunder and lightning.
Scientific law - the lightning 'spark' produces a sound wave when it discharges - which is what we hear as thunder.
Thunder results from the rapid expansion of air along a lightning strike.
No. Thunder is the noise that lightning makes.
you are probably hearing the thunder from a different lightning strike.
Lightning can strike and kill you, or start fires. Thunder can't hurt anyone.
mostly when there is thunder or when it is raining
The electricity in the clouds.
A thunder storm is one in which a large amount of thunder is heard. Thunder is caused by lightning; it would be more correct to say that a thunderstorm only occurs with lightning strikes.
A typical lightning strike lasts for about 0.2 to 0.3 seconds.
5 miles away
By listening for the thunder. When you see a prominent lightning strike, start counting "one thousand one, one thousand two", etc. Each of those is about one second. There are five seconds in every mile (sound travels 1/5th of a mile per second). If you count to fifteen, the lightning strike is three miles away. Lightning and thunder occur at the same instant when the lightning strike is very close to you, and the thunder will sound more like a cymbal crash.
when lightning strikes it opens up a hole in the air called channel then after lightning strike air collapsed back in creating soundwaves called thunder