There’s A Reason The Surprise Thunderstorm Over Malta This Morning Was So Loud

Surprise thunderstorms are always proper lighting and sound shows, but this morning’s was something else. It was a breath of fresh air for all those who have been waiting for a drop of rain to cool down the air a bit, but the thunder was a bit too much for many to handle. Those loud cracks were OTT AF.

The dramatic weather reminded us of the Total Eclipse of the Heart music video, and there’s a totally valid reason for that.

Lovin Malta spoke to Dr. Ritienne Gauci, a Geography lecturer, about this melodramatically angsty thunder to see what’s up with it.

“Thunder is the propagation of sound which is the result following the explosion of air around a lightning channel,” Dr. Gauci told Lovin Malta. So basically, thunder is the vibration lightning makes when it’s shot through the air.

Since lightning is technically electricity, it causes the air particles to vibrate. Apart from that, since electricity is very hot, the air around it expands super quickly, separating the particles around it… forcing more vibrations.

In other words, the hotter the weather is, the louder the thunder will be.

“Various factors can determine that propagation of sound across different directions and also the type of sound, like cracks or rumbles,” Gauci said.

“These factors are mostly distance, lightning intensity and frequency. At some points, you might get two or more simultaneous lightnings that can magnify the sounds, along with wind direction.”

So there you have it; thunder is basically a very angsty teenager, and Malta is still very much a hot island.

Tag someone who’s kind of scared of thunder

READ NEXT: After Yesterday’s Storm, Here’s What This Week’s Weather Has In Store For Malta