Description:
✅ No, thunder cannot occur without lightning.
Why?
Thunder is caused by lightning: The extreme heat of a lightning bolt (up to 30,000°C) instantly heats the air, creating a shockwave that we hear as thunder.
No lightning = no thunder: While you might not always see the lightning (e.g., it’s hidden by clouds or too far away), the sound of thunder always means lightning happened.
Exceptions?
Distant storms: You may hear thunder without visible lightning if the storm is over the horizon ("heat lightning" is just lightning too far away to see).
Other loud booms: Events like meteors or explosions can mimic thunder, but they’re not true thunder.
Fun Fact: Counting seconds between lightning and thunder tells you how far away the storm is (5 seconds ≈ 1 mile)! ⚡🌩️