how does hurricanes and thunderstorms differ?
460435
In ancient days before men understood the scientific reasons for severe storms, and when people were superstitious, thunder-storms, tornadoes, or other types of storms were thought by many to be produced by the gods, who had be-come angry because of the people's misdeeds. The long rolling peals of thunder shaking the very earth were explained as the expression of their wrath, while the flashes of brilliant blue zig-zag lightning shooting forth from the heavens seemed to be intended to strike down the wicked, or to terrify those who had not behaved properly. Fortunately, no longer do we believe as our ancestors of old. Thunder-storms may not only be accounted for, but they can be forecast. How-ever, some persons still fear thunderstorms when they really should not, for their dangers are few. \n\nIf we could actually look into people's brains to learn what their thoughts are when they show fright during a storm, we would probably discover that the crashes of thunder rather than the lightning produced fear. Likewise, when the squally wind howls through the door-jambs and window-casings, people fear the noise of the wind more than the rain or pelting hail which it carries. As a matter of fact, thunder-storms are much less dangerous to life than our automobiles, yet most of us do not fear automobile rides. \n\nThunder, of course, does no damage, as it is merely the noise resulting from the atomic disturbance of the air through which the lightning discharge takes place. It is similar to the click which we sometimes hear when on a cold dry night we run a comb through our hair. This click or sign of a discharge of electricity differs from thunder only in the amount of noise. If people are going to be afraid of storms, they should fear the lightning and not the thunder. \n\nLightning is not very dangerous if we observe a few simple rules. Never stand under a tree during a storm, because trees are excellent conductors of electricity and they are frequently struck by lightning. Trees are tall and pointed and, besides, their roots go deep into the moist earth, thus forming an easy path along which lightning may travel. If a tree is struck, people or live stock seeking shelter under it almost certainly will be shocked and in most instances killed. Trees mark danger spots during thunder-storms. They should be avoided. \n\nWe are much safer indoors than out-of-doors during thunder-storms, but even in our homes certain precautions are advisable. Since lightning generally strikes high points, there always is the possibility of its hitting a chimney. If the chimney contains warm air, the lightning may follow the air down to the fireplace opening into our room. While this may happen only once in a great while, and in most homes never occurs, yet it is well to play safe and no-t sit close to the fireplace or between it and an open door. In fact, we should keep all of our doors and windows closed during a storm, so as to prevent the formation of warm air drafts. Warm air is a much better conductor of lightning than cold air. \n\nIn our large cities lightning :rarely strikes a house because there are so many electric wires all around. The street-railway trolley wires, the telegraph, telephone, and electric-light wires, all conduct electricity. They are so much better conductors than wood and brick buildings that if lightning tends toward these structures, the wires near-by carry off the charge. On the other hand, in the rural districts where buildings are located in the center of large flat areas, all of them should have lightning-rods attached. Oftentimes farm houses, barns, silos, and other structures are the only high points in the region, and therefore lightning discharging toward the earth near them is likely to strike them. Experience of fire-insurance companies has shown that most buildings in small towns and rural districts which have lightning-rods properly attached., with the lower end reaching well down into the moist soil, are i
981155
It's pretty impossible to answer that definitively, but an educated guess (of mine) is that the number is easily over 90%, and probably closer to 98%.\n\nFirst I'll assume we define a thunderstorm as any storm that produces lightning and (therefore) thunder.  That's easy enough, except for how you then define what, exactly, constitutes an individual "storm".  That can get very tricky.  But enough of that...\n\nThe (NWS) criteria for defining a t-storm as severe is one that produces wind gusts of 58mph or more, and/or hail of 0.75" in diameter or larger, and/or a tornado.\n\nhttp://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/#4.2\n\nNot many t-storms produce any of those conditions, percentage-wise.\n\n(Great question, IMO, BTW)
1178288
I believe the answer is 4.  Check out this link.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunderstorm
266861
Hurricanes typically don't produce much lightning, but sometimes they can.\n\nHere is a website with some investigation about this.\n\n http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/essd16jun99_1.htm
573385
Hurricanes occurr in the Atlantic and typhoons in the Pacific.  Otherwise, they're the same.  Typhoones tend to be stronger than hurricanes since the Pacific has more areas of open water.  Typhoons are named independently of hurricanes.  If a hurricane passes through Central America, it becomes a typhoon and vica-versa.
403521
There is no difference. A hurricane is just called different things in different parts of the world.
283797
According to the National Severe Storms Laboratory, central Kansas receives the most thunderstorm activity.  Unfortunately, those storms come with tornadoes.  Florida gets the most lightning, sometimes with thunderstorms but that also means hurricanes.
1135874
well, to be honest, i think all the options above suck. \n\nstorm surges are related to a lowering of atmospheric pressure allowing the sea water beneath a storm to rise. they are typically associated with hurricanes, but could occur with large thunderstorms under teh right conditions. \n\nhurricane winds typically reach over 180mph. when have you ever been in a thunder storm with winds that high?!? the hurricane classification system is based on wind speeds and damage. a thunderstorm is towards the lower end of the spectrum, followed by tropical storms and hurricanes. so no, a thunderstorm does not have faster winds than a hurricane, that is just ridiculous. \n\ni find it hard to belive that thunderstorms have more evaporated precipitation than a hurricane, but i may be wrong. thunderstorms mainly release built up electrical charge whearas hurricanes are a culmination of evaporating water over the warm, deep areas of the atlantic ocean. \n\nhurricanes winds do spiral due to the corriolis effect. i cant remember which way though. i wouldnt say that thunderstorm winds blow in a straight line, there is bound to be turbulence to some extent. \n\nso in short, none of the statments suggested in the questions is really correct.
48800
A hurricane begins when a warm, wet mass of air over the sea begins to rise quickly. Then combined actions of air, water and heat may then produce a huge, spinning system of clouds, rain and wind- a hurricane. The center, or eye, of a hurricane is calm. It is a hole in a dough-nut of wind. \nA hurricane usually lasts 9-12 days. It forms and builds strength over warm sea water. It loses energy as it moves over cooler sea water or land.
1032906
In meteorology, a tropical storm is a storm system with a closed circulation around a center of low pressure, fueled by the heat released when moist air rises and condenses. The name underscores their origin in the tropics and their cyclonic nature. They are distinguished from other cyclonic storms such as nor'easters and polar lows by the heat mechanism that fuels them, which makes them "warm core" storm systems.
834166
In meteorology, a cyclone is an area of low atmospheric pressure characterised by inward spiraling winds that spin clockwise in the northern hemisphere of the Earth, or counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere. It is a generic description covering a wide variety of different meteorological phenomena such as tropical cyclones, Extratropical cyclones and tornadoes, thus is rarely used by meteorologists without a qualifying term.\n\nThe terms hurricane and typhoon are regionally specific names for a strong tropical cyclone—a non-frontal, synoptic-scale, warm-core low-pressure system with cyclonic surface wind circulation (Holland 1993). Specifically, hurricanes generally refer to such storms in the Atlantic Basin and the Pacific Ocean east of the International Date Line. Typhoons refer to the storms in the north Pacific west of the International Date Line. The typhoon term has also been applied to tropical cyclones in the South Pacific or Indian Ocean, but this is not considered correct usage today\n\nare same
625331
Usually, heavy rain stroms are always accompanied by thunderstorms.  The worst storms occur when warm, moist air meets with cool, dry air.  The greater the difference, the greater the thunderstorm and rainfall.
988117
there's a phenomena called Virga, that occurs frequently that could be the cause of this...Virga is rain that doesn't actually reach the surface, and its possible if the thunderstorm just doesn't have enough moisture in them..but..most likely..is that the thunderstorm isn't mature enough to start raining yet..and will most likely start a few miles down the road\n\nThunder occurs anytime theres lightning, and Cloud to cloud lightning is very frequent, and isn't affected by the amount of precipitation in the cloud (although more precip will mean a stronger storm).\n\nYou're most likely hearing the thunder caused by cloud to cloud lighting..and the storm is not yet strong enough to begin precipitation at the surface
760551
Hurricanes, tornadoes, eathquakes, cyclones....stuff like that.
269002
A cyclone happens south of the equator and goes in the exact opposite direction as a hurricane . The principle works the sme as if you flush a toilet ... in Australia the water goes in the opposite direction . So therefore do the winds of a cyclone as opposed to a hurricane .\n\nThere is a word for this , I forget what it is called ...
258800
Aside from the name, not much. Both are severe tropical systems that have wind speeds greater than 74 mph. \n\nThey are called "hurricanes" in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean. But once your go west across the International Dateline and into the western Pacific Ocean, they're called typhoons. And of course, the Australians, who have colorful names for just about everything, have their own term for hurricanes: "willy-willys." \n\nTyphoons generally tend to be stronger than hurricanes, but only because there's warmer water in the western Pacific and are better conditions for storm development. And they've been known to affect Seattle: Some of our strongest windstorms ever recorded were remnants of a typhoon in the western Pacific.
785117
an Electrical storm involves lightning.\nAnd lightning can travel at the speed of light.\nBecause it mostly is light.\n\nThunder is slower and goes at the speed of sound so we hear the thunder later.