Skip to content
Why?Play Why?

Weather

Why does thunder rumble and booms?

Lightning is a giant spark of electricity that heats the air around it super fast. This hot air expands quickly and then cools just as rapidly, making a big sound wave. We hear that sound as thunder!

⭐ Bonus fact: Sometimes you hear thunder a long time after seeing lightning because light travels much faster than sound.

More weather facts

Why? answers kids' biggest “why” questions with short, true and fun facts. Start exploring