The storm is always linked to the presence of a cumulonimbus cloud type, also called storm cloud.  It is often accompanied by a set of phenomena violent gusts of wind, precipitation – sometimes small – and sometimes winds folding, or waterspout or tornado.

The storm is usually a short-term phenomenon: from a few tens of minutes to several hours.  It can be isolated (storm due to the presence of reliefs or caused by the warming of the soil in summer) or organized online (the “squall line” by meteorologists).

For certain conditions, thunderstorms can regenerate continuously in the same place or replace them at their peak of maturity. They cause and during several hours of heavy rainfall leading to floods.

The storm cloud: the mighty cumulonimbus

The cumulonimbus cloud is the characteristic phenomena thunderstorms.  It is also responsible for all hailstorms.  This giant cloud threatening, off 5 to 10 km, can reach up to 15 km altitude in our latitudes.  At its peak, the audience faces the stratosphere and spread widely, which gives it its shape Anvil (or, sometimes, panache or hair ébouriffée).