ATPL Meteorology - Class 8: Thunderstorms.

Summary

This meteorology class explores thunderstorm formation, their dangers to aviation, and strategies for dealing with them. Thunderstorms, composed of cumulonimbus clouds, form under specific conditions like rising unstable air and high humidity. They pose significant risks to aircraft, including severe turbulence, wind shear, tornadoes, reduced visibility, and lightning strikes. The video emphasizes the importance of avoiding thunderstorms by at least 10 nautical miles and using weather radar for navigation, ensuring flight safety.

Takeaways

• 🌩️ Thunderstorms are formed by rising unstable air, high humidity, and a trigger like mountains or high temperatures.
• ✈️ They pose significant dangers to aviation, causing flight delays, aircraft damage, and potential injuries to passengers and crew.
• 🌟 Cumulonimbus clouds are the main components of thunderstorms, growing rapidly due to air instability and reaching heights that can form anvil shapes.
• 🌧️ The mature phase of a thunderstorm brings heavy rain and severe turbulence, which is hazardous for aircraft flying through it.
• 🌬️ Wind shear, a sudden change in wind direction and speed, is a dangerous condition near thunderstorms that can lead to stalling aircraft.
• 🌪️ Tornadoes can form from severe horizontal wind shear, which is extremely dangerous for aircraft and ground structures.
• 💧 Precipitation from thunderstorms can cause reduced visibility, water ingestion leading to engine failure, and hail damage to aircraft.
• ❄️ Icing is a hazard when supercooled water droplets freeze on the aircraft, affecting its aerodynamics and potentially causing handling issues.
• ⚡ Lightning poses an electrical hazard; modern aircraft are designed with a Faraday cage principle to protect against lightning strikes.
• 🛑 The safest strategy for dealing with thunderstorms is to avoid them by at least 10 nautical miles, using weather radar for detection, and delaying or diverting flights when necessary.

Q & A

What are the three stages of a thunderstorm's life cycle?

The three stages of a thunderstorm's life cycle are the building phase, mature phase, and dissipating phase. During the building phase, a cumulonimbus cloud grows rapidly due to unstable air. The mature phase is characterized by precipitation falling and causing both updrafts and downdrafts within the cloud, leading to severe turbulence. The dissipating phase occurs when updrafts end and the cloud starts to reduce in size as the air becomes stable.

Why are thunderstorms so dangerous to aviation?

Thunderstorms are dangerous to aviation because they can cause severe turbulence, wind shear, reduced visibility due to heavy rain or hail, potential engine failure from water ingestion, icing on the aircraft surfaces, and damage from lightning strikes.

How do warm weather thunderstorms form?

Warm weather thunderstorms form when the heat from the air mass causes instability. The midday sun heats the air, making it unstable and causing it to expand and rise. This leads to the formation of cumulonimbus clouds and potentially thunderstorms, especially in hot and humid regions.

What is a squall line?

A squall line is a long line of frontal thunderstorms. It occurs when a mass of cooler, denser air moves in and forces the warmer air upwards, leading to a continuous line of thunderstorms.

What is wind shear and why is it dangerous for aircraft?

Wind shear is a sudden change in wind direction and speed that can occur near thunderstorms. It is dangerous for aircraft, particularly during low-level flight, because it can lead to a rapid decrease in airspeed, potentially causing a stall if the aircraft's thrust is not adjusted promptly.

How can lightning affect an aircraft?

Lightning can cause electrical systems to overload and disrupt instruments in an aircraft. However, most modern jets are designed with a Faraday cage principle, which helps protect the electrical systems by allowing a lightning strike to pass through the aircraft's skin without interacting with the systems inside.

What is the safest strategy for dealing with thunderstorms in aviation?

The safest strategy for dealing with thunderstorms in aviation is to avoid them whenever possible. Pilots should maintain a safe distance of at least 10 nautical miles, and if necessary, delay takeoff or landing until the storm has passed.

What is the role of the tropopause in thunderstorm formation?

The tropopause plays a crucial role in thunderstorm formation as it is an inversion layer where the temperature stops decreasing with altitude. When a cumulonimbus cloud reaches the tropopause, it can no longer rise as easily due to the stable air, leading to the formation of an anvil shape at the top of the cloud.

How does the 'splash effect' contribute to the longevity of a thunderstorm?

The 'splash effect' occurs when precipitation hits the ground and the air it cools is sucked back up into the cloud, especially on the side of the splash. This can help maintain the life of a storm by continuing to provide cool air, allowing a self-sustaining storm to last longer.

What are the two main types of thunderstorms mentioned in the script?

The two main types of thunderstorms mentioned in the script are warm weather thunderstorms and frontal thunderstorms. Warm weather thunderstorms are caused by the heat of the air mass, while frontal thunderstorms are formed when a mass of cooler air moves in and forces the warmer air upwards.

Outlines

00:00

🌩 Understanding Thunderstorms and Their Dangers

This paragraph introduces the topic of thunderstorms, emphasizing their historical mystery and modern understanding, particularly in relation to aviation. It outlines the dangers of thunderstorms to aircraft, which range from flight delays to severe damage or injury. The narrator, Grant, sets the stage for an educational video on meteorology, focusing on the formation and dangers of thunderstorms. Key points include the necessity of certain conditions for thunderstorm formation, such as rising unstable air, high humidity, and a catalyst like mountains or high temperatures. The paragraph also explains the three stages of a thunderstorm's life cycle: the building phase with rapid cloud growth, the mature phase characterized by precipitation and severe turbulence, and the dissipating phase where updrafts cease, leading to the storm's decline. The potential for self-sustaining storms is also mentioned, where upper atmospheric winds can prolong the storm's life.

05:00

🔥 Types of Thunderstorms and Their Formation

Paragraph 2 delves into the two main types of thunderstorms: warm weather and frontal. Warm weather thunderstorms are linked to high temperatures and humidity, with the daily heat peak around 2 pm causing significant surface warming and leading to the formation of clouds and storms. Frontal thunderstorms occur when cooler, denser air masses force warmer air upwards, creating updrafts and the initial stages of storm development. The paragraph also describes squall lines, which are extensive lines of frontal thunderstorms that can pose significant challenges for aviation due to their size and the need to绕行 them. The hazards of thunderstorms are introduced, including turbulence, wind shear, tornado formation, and the various dangers they pose to aircraft operations.

10:00

⚡ Hazards of Thunderstorms in Aviation

Paragraph 3 discusses the specific hazards that thunderstorms pose to aircraft, such as turbulence within the storm, wind shear, and tornado formation. It explains how heavy rain can reduce visibility and cause engine issues through water ingestion. Hail is described as projectiles that can damage an aircraft, and icing is highlighted as a risk when supercooled water droplets come into contact with cold aircraft surfaces. Lightning, the electrical hazard of thunderstorms, is also covered, noting its potential to overload electrical systems. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of avoiding thunderstorms and using weather radar for navigation, as well as the potential need to hold or divert flights due to storm activity.

15:02

✈️ Navigating Aviation Safety Around Thunderstorms

The final paragraph summarizes the key points about thunderstorms, their types, and the associated hazards for aviation. It reiterates the importance of avoiding thunderstorms by maintaining a safe distance, the use of weather radar for navigation, and the potential need for flight delays or diversions due to storm activity. The paragraph also covers the three stages of a thunderstorm, the different types of thunderstorms, and the various hazards such as turbulence, wind shear, tornadoes, heavy rain, hail, icing, and lightning. The emphasis is on the safety measures that should be taken to avoid these hazards, including maintaining distance, delaying takeoff, and holding or diverting flights as necessary.

Keywords

💡Thunderstorms

Thunderstorms are a type of storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the atmosphere, resulting in the sound called thunder. In the context of the video, thunderstorms are discussed as a significant threat to aviation due to their potential to cause severe turbulence, damage to aircraft, and pose risks to the safety of passengers and crew. The video mentions that thunderstorms are made up of cumulonimbus clouds and require specific conditions to form, such as rising unstable air, high humidity, and a catalyst for air to rise.

💡Cumulonimbus Clouds

Cumulonimbus clouds are large, towering, and dense clouds that are capable of producing thunderstorms, heavy rain, and sometimes hail. They are a key component in the formation of thunderstorms, as highlighted in the video. These clouds form due to the rapid upward movement of warm, moist air, which then cools and condenses at higher altitudes. The video explains that thunderstorms are made up of cumulonimbus clouds in various stages of development, which can grow very tall and potentially form an anvil shape at the tropopause.

💡Tropopause

The tropopause is the boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere in the Earth's atmosphere. It is characterized by an inversion layer where temperature no longer decreases with altitude. In the video, the tropopause is mentioned as a point where a cumulonimbus cloud can grow so tall that it reaches this layer, leading to the formation of an anvil shape due to the stable conditions present at this boundary.

💡Turbulence

Turbulence refers to the irregular and chaotic movement of air masses, which can cause颠簸 and instability for aircraft in flight. The video discusses how the mature phase of a thunderstorm, characterized by the falling of precipitation, leads to a mixture of climbing and descending air within the cumulonimbus cloud, resulting in severe turbulence that can be hazardous for aircraft if flown through.

💡Wind Shear

Wind shear is a meteorological phenomenon where the wind speed or direction changes rapidly over a short distance. This can be particularly dangerous for aircraft during takeoff and landing. The video describes wind shear as a hazard associated with thunderstorms, where a sudden change in wind direction and speed can lead to a significant and potentially hazardous change in an aircraft's ground speed.

💡Precipitation

Precipitation refers to any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity from clouds, such as rain, sleet, or hail. In the video, precipitation is discussed as a phase in the life cycle of a thunderstorm where large rain droplets begin to fall, contributing to the turbulence within the storm and potentially causing damage to aircraft if they are large enough, like hailstones.

💡Icing

Icing in aviation refers to the accumulation of ice on the surfaces of an aircraft, which can alter its aerodynamic properties and potentially lead to a loss of control. The video mentions icing as a hazard associated with thunderstorms, particularly when supercooled water droplets come into contact with the cold surfaces of an aircraft, especially below about 10 degrees Celsius.

💡Lightning

Lightning is a major weather phenomenon that occurs within a thunderstorm and is the result of a discharge of static electricity. The video explains that lightning is a significant hazard for aircraft, as a direct strike can cause electrical systems to overload. However, modern aircraft are designed with a Faraday cage principle to protect against such strikes.

💡Squall Line

A squall line is a line of thunderstorms that form along or ahead of a cold front, often producing strong winds, heavy rain, and sometimes hail. The video discusses squall lines as a type of thunderstorm that can be particularly challenging for aviation, as they can stretch for long distances and require significant detours to avoid.

💡Weather Radar

Weather radar is a technology used to detect precipitation and other particles in the atmosphere, which helps in meteorological analysis and forecasting. The video mentions the use of weather radar as a tool for pilots to detect and avoid thunderstorms, especially during nighttime or low visibility conditions, by providing a visual representation of storm severity.

Highlights

Thunderstorms were once so mysterious that gods were dedicated to them.

Modern understanding reveals the danger of thunderstorms to aviation.

Thunderstorms are formed by cumulonimbus clouds requiring rising unstable air, moisture, and a trigger like mountains or high temperatures.

Cumulonimbus clouds can rise rapidly, up to 60 knots, due to air instability.

Anvil-shaped clouds form when clouds reach the tropopause, creating a stable, flat top.

The mature phase of a thunderstorm involves heavy precipitation and severe turbulence.

Dissipating thunderstorms cease updrafts as rain pools colder air, reducing the cloud's size.

Self-sustaining storms can occur with strong upper atmosphere winds, causing splash effects and prolonged life.

There are two main types of thunderstorms: warm weather and frontal, each formed by different atmospheric conditions.

Warm weather thunderstorms are common in hot, humid regions and are driven by heat and humidity.

Frontal thunderstorms occur when cooler, denser air forces warmer air upwards, forming a squall line.

Thunderstorms pose hazards including turbulence, wind shear, tornadoes, and precipitation-related issues.

Wind shear can cause sudden changes in wind direction, leading to dangerous stalls at low altitudes.

Tornadoes form from horizontal wind shear, creating a destructive spinning effect.

Heavy rain reduces visibility and can cause engine failure due to water ingestion.

Hailstones can damage aircraft and reduce visibility, similar to heavy rain.

Icing occurs when supercooled water droplets freeze on contact with cold aircraft surfaces.

Lightning poses an electrical hazard, potentially overloading aircraft systems.

Modern aircraft use a Faraday cage principle to protect against lightning strikes.

The safest strategy for dealing with thunderstorms is to avoid them by at least 10 nautical miles.

Weather radar systems help pilots detect and avoid thunderstorms, especially at night.

If a thunderstorm is at the destination, holding or diverting may be necessary until it passes.

Departure delays are recommended when a thunderstorm hits the airport to ensure safety.

Transcripts

thunderstorms were so mysterious for so

many years that entire gods were

dedicated to them

nowadays though thankfully we understand

them a lot better and more importantly

understand how dangerous they are for

aviation

how are they formed and why are they so

dangerous though and what is the best

strategy for dealing with thunderstorms

should you encounter them

let's find out

[Music]

hi i'm grant and welcome to the eighth

class in the meteorology series

in this class we're going to be taking a

look at thunderstorms and why they are

so dangerous to aircraft in the best

case scenario a thunderstorm can result

in a few flight delays but in the worst

case scenario it can result in damage to

the aircraft or injury to passengers and

crew

these things are not to be taken lightly

and hopefully by the end of the class

you'll see why

a thunderstorm is made up of lots of

cumulonimbus clouds in various stages of

development

it therefore requires certain conditions

to form such as rising unstable air

it also requires lots of moisture in the

air or high humidity and something to

cause the air to rise such as a mountain

or high temperatures

in the first building phase of a storm a

small cumulonimbus cloud or cumulus

cloud will grow very tall due to the

instability of the air and can rise

rapidly upwards at as fast as 60 knots

if the grout if the cloud grows so tall

that it reaches the tropopause you can

get an anvil shape forming the sort of

flat top to the cloud

the reason this happens is because of

the inversion or isothermal layer at the

tropopause this means that a parcel of

rising air rising at the saturated

adiabatic lapse rate

will now reduce in temperature while the

air around it remains a constant because

of the tropopause

so the saturated air is now always going

to be colder than the surrounding air at

the tropopause

and therefore it is more stable and it

stops rising so you get this flat top

forming

after the building phase you enter the

mature phase this is when the

precipitation starts to fall this will

be in the form of large rain droplets

that are heavy enough to overcome these

large updrafts this large amount of

rising air

as the rain falls it will cool down

colder air with it as it goes causing a

mixture of both climbing and descending

air

and within the cloud itself within the

cumulonimbus cloud itself this would

cause severe turbulence if you were to

fly through it

the next stage after that would be

called the dissipating stage

this is basically when the updrafts end

the rising air

stops and this happens because the

falling rain is pooling down colder air

with it

so that means that the

saturated air is now often warmer

than the sorry colder than the

um surrounding air and it stops this

rising process from happening in this

stage there's basically no more updrafts

and the cloud will gradually start to

reduce in size with the precipitation

stopping as well

it is possible for a storm to sustain

itself if there are strong winds in the

upper atmosphere

this will cause the precipitation

and the associated colder air not

falling through the cloud itself but

actually falling in front of the cloud

this means there are only updrafts and

not the usual mixture of up and down

draw drafts to cause the storm to

eventually reduce in size

you also get a sort of splash effect

when the precipitation hits the ground

not in terms of the the water or the ice

particles the actual

precipitation itself

but that air that it cools down splashes

out on the surface

and on the side of the splash

with the

that is in the correct direction

to be sucked back up into the cloud and

help maintain the life of this storm

this means that a self-sustaining storm

can last a very long time

and the precipitation has the time to

grow in size and intensity forming large

hailstones for example or other extreme

weather conditions

generally speaking there are two main

types of thunderstorms you get warm

weather and frontal

so warm weather thunderstorms as the

name implies are caused by the heat of

the air mass itself and its effect on

the stability of that air

it's all dependent on the humidity

levels and temperature of the rising air

compared to its surroundings

if we have absolute instability of the

air where the environmental lapse rate

is cooling the environmental air at a

faster rate than any adiabatically

rising parcels of air it means that the

air partials are always warmer than the

surrounding air

therefore less dense and will rise up

during the warmest time of the day

around 2 pm the surface is nice and warm

and this heats up the air just above it

this causes an environmental lapse rate

that is more severe as there's a greater

difference between the temperature at

the surface when compared to the

temperature at altitude

this means at the surface there's a

large difference between the

dry adiabatic collapse rate and the

saturated adiabatic lapse rate when

compared to the environmental latch rate

this means that a rising parcel of air

is always going to be warmer

than the environmental air surrounding

it that means there's a high level of

instability

this high level of instability at the

surface leads to rising parts of the air

and that leads to formation of clouds

and thunderstorms

these types of warm weather

thunderstorms are very common in hot

humid places like southeast asia for

example frontal thunderstorms

are formed when a mass of cooler air and

more dense air moves in and as it moves

in it forces up the warmer air

the warmer air

being forced up causes updrafts pulls in

more air and it cools down and forms uh

the initial building phase of

thunderstorms and when you get a long

line of frontal

thunderstorms you can call it a squall

line

s-q-u-a-l-l squall line

and these can be

really

really long and you've got to fly miles

out of your way to get around them it

could be a real pain

thunderstorms are not nice things to fly

near and can lead to some seriously

dangerous flying conditions they're no

joke basically

there are many hazards associated with

them which we're now going to have a

quick look at

so the first of the hazards is

turbulence within the storm itself

we saw how

up and down drafts in the air can lead

to turbulence when we're in that mature

phase and surrounding the storm there's

also a lot of air getting sucked in and

coming out with the precipitation these

areas will have lots of moving air and

gusts which can lead to turbulence and

if you're between two storms you can

have

um a lot worse situation from this as

well when you enter into these areas in

your aircraft

from

the surrounding air you can get a large

and sudden change in direction and speed

of the wind this is known as wind shear

and it can be very hazardous at low

levels

say you're traveling forward at 100

knots with a tailwind of 10 knots

so you're going across the ground at a

speed of 110 knots

then you enter wind shear and suddenly

you have a 60 knot headwind instead of

that 10 knot tailwind

you would not then have the correct

thrust set and you would suddenly

experience a lot more drag without the

correct thrust which could lead to

stalling so you could go from 110 knots

along the ground and then suddenly

you're going 40 knots across the ground

huge change

just a quick search on youtube and

you'll find hundreds of examples of this

kind of thing a tornado can form when

you've got this wind shear in the

horizontal um

sense you can also get it in vertical

but if you have horizontal wind shear

and then it's got to be quite severe and

then that rising motion

sucks up the rising air as well the

horizontal

wind shear imparts a spin and the rising

air pulls up and you get the tornado

shape

and you don't need me to tell you how

dangerous tornadoes are they can destroy

entire towns let alone a small aircraft

so that's kind of the associated wind

hazards

in terms of precipitation hazards if

you've got heavy rain falling from a

storm it has the immediate effect of

reducing visibility there are windshield

wipers on planes but i'm sure as it's

happened to you when you're driving

along your car sometimes they just can't

keep up with the rain and you can't see

clearly

another issue of heavy rain can be water

ingestion

this means that the air being sucked

into the engine

is full of too much water and it can

actually put the spark

um

out in the aircraft and cause a flame

out and it leads to difficulties in the

gases in the engine lighting and the

engine could fail essentially if you've

got hail formed in a thunderstorm due to

the rising falling nature of the air

ice crystals will fall

um and hit the aircraft basically these

bullets flying at the aircraft causing

damage to the aircraft

this would

um obviously not be desirable and you

would have problems with visibility as

well just like you do with heavy rain

you can also get icing happening

this happens when supercooled water

droplets come into contact with the

aircraft and the temperature is low

enough

for regular water droplets icing is

normally considered a risk below about

10 degrees celsius as the aircraft will

be cold due to the surrounding

environmental air combined with that

wind chill effect and with super cooled

water droplets it's obviously always

going to be a risk

um as

and it's going to be more severe icing

when you compare it just to regular

water droplets below 10 degrees celsius

so we've got wind we've got

precipitation

the last one's what thunderstorms are

associated with most

lightning it's the electrical hazards

so lightning is the static discharge of

built up electricity caused by friction

it's a much more violent version of

rubbing your socks on a carpet and

touching someone to give them the

electric shock

the friction in this case the rubbing of

your socks is generated by the rising

and falling particles of air

if an aircraft is struck by lightning it

can cause electrical systems to overload

and problems with instruments and

anything else electrical to form

most modern jets are designed with a

faraday cage principle in mind which

means that the electrical systems are

insulated from the outside skin of the

aircraft and if a lightning bolt were to

hit

and it would pass through the skin and

not really interact with the electrical

system at all

but that's not all aircraft that's just

the big ones

you can also have static build up and

static discharge which is basically the

stage before full on lightning

and it can usually be heard as

static interference and crackling on the

radio systems and that can actually

interfere with your communications uh

with the ground you can't get a radio

calling because there's too much static

interference

and it's sometimes seen as a phenomenon

called saint elmo's fire which is a very

cool looking thing that looks like a

mini lightning storm on the windscreen

and the hazard here obviously arrives

from those communication issues

and in extreme in extreme cases saying

elmo's fire can actually crack the

windscreen

seen elmo's fire is worth a quick

youtube or google as well it's a very

cool phenomenon

the safest way to deal with a

thunderstorm is to avoid it

don't fly into a store unless you

absolutely have to and there is no other

option available

if it's daytime and you can see storms

simply maneuver around them at a safe

distance of at least 10 knuckle miles or

more

and if you have another option

if it's night time or to age you during

the day you can also use a system called

a weather radar

i won't go into the details of how they

work in full as it will depend on what

kind of aircraft you end up flying but

it's kind of like a sonar system you've

got a sweeping um

sonar that bounces back off of particles

droplets in the air and paints a picture

green orange red

of the severity of

the storms so at night time when you

can't see them you can still avoid them

using this weather radar and you would

have a predicted track line

and you would avoid them again by 10

knock miles or more

so that would be during the cruise but

if you arrive at your destination and

there's a thunderstorm overhead the

airfield you should consider holding

until the storm has passed or dissipated

the very nature of storms is that they

are not long lasting except in those

self-sustaining circumstances

and if this is the case diversion to

another airport may be necessary if your

fuel is getting low

and if you're about to depart an

aircraft

and a storm hits the best thing to do

again is just to wait until it's passed

it should be quite short in nature just

because that's the nature of storms

themselves but

in extreme cases i have to wait over

three hours one time before just because

there was one storm then the next and

the next

and one of the perks of the job you know

to summarize then you've got three

stages of a storm you've got building

mature dissipating building associated

with large amount of updrafts the cloud

building and building in size

and these can be very very

quick up to about 60 knots even more

the mature phase is associated with the

precipitation falling you get both

updrafts and downdrafts within the cloud

causing a lot of turbulence and the

precipitation will be large because it

had to overcome all of this strong

rising air

when that rain falls or that

precipitation falls it brings down

colder air with it and makes the air

more and more stable over time which

leads to this stopping and we enter the

dissipating stage where there's no more

rising air because the air is now

stable and we only have the down drafts

that coming off of it

and the cloud will reduce in size and

it'll fade out essentially

the only case where this doesn't happen

is when you've got a self-sustaining

system where you've got a strong wind in

the upper atmosphere that pushes the

rain outside of the cloud

so the precipitation or the rain falls

outside of the cloud so you don't get

this

cooling effect of the air this remains

unstable and the stable air is actually

located here you also get the splashing

effect of the rain feeding back into the

cloud only on one side but yeah

generally speaking two types of

thunderstorm we get warm weather uh

thunderstorms associated with heat

basically the midday sun heats up the

air makes it very unstable makes it

expand and

makes rising pockets of air

uh continue to rise creates absolute

instability and then you get frontal

storms

which is when a colder air mass moves in

underneath a warm air mass forcing that

up

and forms clouds and if you get a long

line of storms you would call it a

squall line there's many many hazards

associated with thunderstorms so they're

not very good things to fly through

turbulence you get the up and down

motion of the air

and turbulence can cause damage to the

aircraft in general and as well as

passengers crew everybody on board

wind shears when you get sudden change

in the direction

sometimes caused by this splashing

effect you suddenly fly in

to an area where the wind is a different

direction

and this is very dangerous when you're

low level because you could stall the

aircraft essentially you go from a

tailwind to a headwind do have the

correct thrust setting set

and you stall a tornado happens when you

get horizontal wind shear which imparts

a spin onto the air then it gets sucked

up by the rising air

and these are obviously very damaging

can damage and destroy whole towns if

they

get out of hand heavy rain when you're

flying near or underneath a cumulonimbus

or a thunderstorm has problems with

visibility you can't see your windscreen

wipers can't keep up and the engines can

also take in too much water and lead to

difficulties with the gases in the

engine lighting

and so you get an engine failure

hail you get the associated visibility

problems but also damage it's like

getting pelted with loads of bullets

icing ice can build up

from normal rain below about 10 degrees

celsius uh because of the wind chill

effect of the surfaces the surfaces will

be quite cold

and also with super cold water droplets

and it's going to be more severe icing

and ice buildup adds weight and it also

causes handling issues sometimes because

the aerodynamic surfaces have a

different shape if they're covered in

ice from normal you get electrical

hazards

static is a stage before lightning and

that would be associated with

communication errors kind of on the

comms side of things static crackling

that kind of thing and then when you get

the more severe lightning that could

shock whole entire systems but nowadays

there's a faraday cage principle applied

to most big aircraft

which means that a lightning strike will

kind of pass through the aircraft rather

than directly affect the electrical

systems and the big key thing with all

this is avoid thunderstorms by at least

10 nautical miles if not more

if you can give yourself 20 then why not

it's won't be that much more fuel and uh

the company will thank you a lot more

for burning a little bit more fuel than

for hurting a passenger due to severe

turbulence for instance

if you're about to depart

you will delay the takeoff

air traffic control will sometimes

enforce this so we say no departures for

the next hour that kind of thing but

you know be cautious

um if they don't have the rule in place

and on arrival to a destination you hold

if you're running out of fuel a

diversion might be needed to somewhere

where there's not a storm

but most importantly storms bad avoid

and

take

measures not to fly through them