Thunderstorms are a spectacular display of nature that, while breathtaking to behold, can also damage infrastructure and harm people. Humans have always wondered how thunderstorms affect people and what consequences they can have on us, not only in terms of damage from lightning strikes, but also on the nervous system, and so on.
Therefore, we are going to dedicate this article to tell you how thunderstorms affect people and what consequences they have.
What are thunderstorms
A thunderstorm is a meteorological phenomenon characterized by atmospheric instability (manifested by heavy rain, strong winds, and occasionally hail or snow), and the production of lightning bolts, or lightning bolts, that produce thunder when the atmosphere crumples.
Like all storms, thunderstorms move at high speed under the influence of atmospheric winds . However, their course can change due to irregularities, such as wind shear. To learn more about the intensity of these phenomena, you can consult the article on the world's largest thunderstorms.
They can also initiate the rotational movement that forms supercells, or supercells, in which the internal circulation of air masses occurs, making them persistent (and dangerous) longer than usual.
How do storms form?
For them to form, the atmosphere must exhibit a specific moisture profile in warm, upwind conditions . The wind cools very high in the atmosphere, releasing energy and condensing, reaching temperatures below the dew point.
Thus, cumulus clouds are formed with great vertical development (up to 18.000 feet) feeding on a constant flow of hot air. These are storm clouds, to be precise.
The stronger the rising warm air, the more intense the storm. Its intensity depends on the amount of water, ice, or snow falling from a height. This precipitation releases electricity due to the difference in charge between the upper and lower layers of the atmosphere.
How Thunderstorms Affect People
The health of some people is greatly affected by the weather. Although it may sound like an old wives' tale, certain weather conditions do indeed affect our health. While the most common is joint pain that arises with environmental changes, there are other health problems that can be related to the state of our bodies.
When strong winds blow, the body reacts as if it is under attack, with what is known as a "fight or flight" response, such as a racing heart and turbulent emotions.
In addition, the windy conditions that occur during a thunderstorm can trigger migraines . One reason is the effect on the hypothalamus, the region of the brain that controls bodily functions; it can cause constriction or swelling of the blood vessels in the head, which can cause the pain associated with migraines.
On the other hand, people with bruises don't enjoy thunderstorms either. When external pressure drops, it causes normal tissue to expand and contract. However, because scar tissue is not elastic but dense and hard , it cannot adapt to pressure changes , resulting in a tight feeling that causes intense pain.
This may be due to baroreceptors in the joints that detect a drop in atmospheric pressure when the weather changes from dry to rainy. Fluid levels in the joints can fluctuate with these changes, which can trigger nerve pain.
strong electrical storms
The change in air pressure that precedes a thunderstorm often triggers a headache. When the pressure drops, brain and nerve cells begin to interact differently, resulting in headaches.
Many asthmatics also find that their condition worsens if thunderstorms occur when pollen counts are high. Gusts of wind that cause storms can absorb pollen. Meanwhile, the electrical charge generated by the storm can affect how long pollen stays in the lungs, potentially causing seizures.
According to the UK Institute of Psychiatry, warmer weather increases the risk of suicide. The scientists found that for every 1°C increase in average temperature above 18°C, the suicide rate increased by 3,8%.
However, psychiatrist Jan Wise said suicides often occurred when people were slightly drunk and were more likely to be in a hot climate, especially in the UK.
Storms of any kind can cause significant damage to property and people, as rain can cause flooding and strong winds can topple trees, power lines, and other objects capable of injuring passersby. If we add to that the frequency of lightning strikes during storms, we must also consider the possibility of fires caused by electrical discharges.
Each lightning bolt inflicts damage on the creature it strikes, whether it hits directly or nearby, and is lethal because it is conductive. To learn more about the nature of this phenomenon, you can visit the article on everything you need to know about lightning.
Stages of a thunderstorm
Thunderstorms have three phases:
- Birth. During this phase, hot air rises and creates a clone bus. If conditions are right, ice particles can form on top of clouds.
- Maturity. The vertical growth of the storm is maximum and the clouds take on the usual anvil shape. Inside the clouds intense and irregular turbulence occurs as a certain balance is achieved between windward and leeward, the first rays being produced by the heavier or denser particles that fall in rain and wind.
- Dissipation. As the cold snap prevails and excess energy is consumed, the clouds spread to the sides in layers and stripes. Eventually, cold air displaces warm air at the Earth's surface, and precipitation weakens as cirrus clouds cast their shadows to cool the Earth's crust.
The greatest danger with these storms is the presence of lightning or lightning. The second is particularly dangerous because they contain electromagnetic pulses capable of generating 1 gigawatt (one million watts) of instantaneous power. They travel through the plasma state at an average speed of 440 km/s.
This electricity is capable of electromagnetically damaging digital or electronic equipment, or knocking out humans or animals through direct or indirect contact.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about how thunderstorms affect people and their consequences.