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Lightning causes the thunder, so it actually has to precede the thunder. If you are close to the lightning, they may seem to occur simultaneously. Since light travels faster than sound, the thunder will always lag behind the lightning.

Light moves at 299 million metres per second. Sound moves at 340 metres per second (at sea level in air). When lightning occurs, the light and the creation of the sound occur at the same time and place. Thunder is due to the rapid expansion of superheated air which the lightning causes.

The flash of light (lightning) arrives first because light waves move at roughly a million times faster than sound waves. By counting the seconds between flash and sound (assuming the storm is not so violent that lightning flashes and thunder claps cannot be paired off), you can determine how close it was to you.

In the English system, each 5 seconds difference is about a mile away. In the metric system, every 3 seconds is about a kilometer. Differences in elevation can make this imprecise.

If the flash and sound are simultaneous, the source of the lightning is very close, so you might want to go inside immediately and if possible, not touch anything connected to the house's electrical, Plumbing, or wired telephone systems. If you are outdoors, stay out from under trees and away from tall objects and metal fences. Keep a low profile, even if it means ducking into a ditch.

Remember that electricity seeks the path of least resistance to ground, and the rain that accompanies the lightning enhances that effect, so stay dry and indoors - and avoid conductive systems as described above. THIS IS TOO LONG

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Angus Bode

Lvl 10
3y ago

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Related Questions

How do you hear thunder?

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Why do you see thunder after you see the flash of lightning?

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Why are you hearing thundering after lightning?

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You see lighting and hear thunder.


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What happens when there is lightning but no thunder?

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Why do you see lightning before you see thunder in terms of wave theory?

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Why do you hear thunder after a bolt of lightning?

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I can always hear thunder in thunder and lightning, everyone can, except for deaf people of course because they can't hear anything.