Why did the weather man say this...?

Question

Why did the weatherman say this?:THE POTENTIAL FOR A MAJOR OUTBREAK

OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON.

Answer 1

He said that because he could see from temperature recording at different altitude that you are in a very unstable air mass. It means that the air cools down faster than the average of 0.65 C per 100 meter of altitude. Why is that 'unstable?' Because as air rises, then cools down, moisture condensates but as it does, it releases energy in form of heat. Then it keeps climbing. If it never gets a chance to even out with the ambient temperature, it will continue to climb to the top of the troposhere - the part of the atmosphere where all weather happens.

In that case, the convection (rising) of the air is so intense that the frictions of molecules creates a static electricity that will eventually discharge as lightning.

Note that he most probably also saw that the largre 'chimney effect' of the rising air was fed by warm and moist air at the surface. Another cause of thunderstorm formation can also be mountains as it will also make the air climb.

So, the recipie for thunderstorms are: Heat, moisture in the air and something that pushes it up (mountains) and/or something that prevents it to stop (cold air at the top).

That's what your weather man saw on his weather maps. Note the "this afternoon" in the weather report. This is because it is in the afternoon that the surface of the earth is mostly heated and the air will rise fastest. In other word: the "chimney effect" is working best.