Is it usually thunder first or lightning first?

Question

According to the link, "thunder is created when lightning passes through the air." So basically we could say they happen at the same time.

Answer 1

While it is hard to tell, most say thunder and lightning happen at the same time. Yet, in reality, lighting comes before thunder. Lightning happens first as it causes particles in the air to vibrate. These vibrations and the heat of lightning then lead to the air around it to expand quickly. All this commotion creates more vibrations as the particles are being pushed around. The movement of the particles and other vibrations then cause the sound and action of thunder. The Center for Science Education says, “Lightning is a discharge of electricity. Lightning heat causes an expansion that creates a shock wave that turns into a booming sound wave, known as lightning.” This series of events is well supported in science. Lastly, light travels faster than sound, supporting the idea that lighting happens first. Thunder is created when lighting passes through the air. 

https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/storms/thunder-and-lightning

https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/lightning/

Answer 2

Technically, thunder happens after lightning occurs. According to the national weather service "Thunder is created when lightning passes through the air. The lightning discharge heats the air rapidly and causes it to expand. The temperature of the air in the lightning channel may reach as high as 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit, 5 times hotter than the surface of the sun. Immediately after the flash, the air cools and contracts quickly. This rapid expansion and contraction creates the sound wave that we hear as thunder."

So, lightning has to occur before thunder can, even if they happen within a matter of milliseconds. 

https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-science-thunder#:~:text=Thunder%20is%20created%20when%20lightning,the%20surface%20of%20the%20sun.

Answer 3

Lightning usually occurs before thunder. The speed of light is much faster than the speed of sound, so we see lightning before we hear thunder.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the light we see from a lightning bolt travels at the speed of light, which is about 186,282 miles per second, while the sound of thunder travels at a speed of approximately 1,125 feet per second. Therefore, we typically see lightning first and then hear thunder a few seconds later.

Reference:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2022). Lightning Safety. Retrieved from https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-science

Answer 4

This is false because thunder is the reaction from the flash of lightning. According to National Weather Service, “thunder is the sound caused by a nearby flash of lightning and can be heard for a distance of only about 10 miles from the lightning strike. Thunder is created when lightning passes through the air.”

https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-science-thunder#:~:text=Immediately%20after%20the%20flash%2C%20the,many%20miles%20through%20the%20air.

Answer 5

This statement is partially correct. Thunder is created when lightning passes through the air, and the thunder we hear is the sound of that moment. Therefore, Thunder can only occur through lightning. The lighting comes first, creating the sound of thunder. 

https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-science-thunder

Answer 6

Lightning is seen before hearing thunder because light travels faster than sound. Lightning must pass through in order for thunder to be created. The discharge of heat in the air from the lightning is what initiates thunder due to the expansion of heat.

www.yourweather.co.uk

Answer 7

Lightning occurs slightly before thunder. This is because light travels at a speed of 300,000,000 m/s while sound travels at 340 m/s. A person on the ground will see lightning before hearing the sound of thunder. If the person is standing close to the thunderstorm, the thunder will come right after the lightning. However, if they are far, there will be a longer delay after the lightning.

https://www.hko.gov.hk/en/education/weather/thunderstorm-and-lightning/00021-why-does-lightning-always-come-before-thunder.html

Answer 8

This is true. Thunder is created when lightning passes through the air. The lightning discharge heats the air rapidly and causes it to expand.

Source: https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-science-thunder

Answer 9

Lightning always comes along with thunder. According to the Hong Kong Observatory, "if you see a lightning flash but cannot hear any thunder, the thunderstorm is most likely be quite far away from you. The thunder clap must have been deflected up the sky." This means that both thunder and lightning come simultaneously, but thunder cannot happen without lightning, so lightning is first. 

https://www.hko.gov.hk/en/education/weather/thunderstorm-and-lightning/00021-why-does-lightning-always-come-before-thunder.html