Thunder is caused by lightning. When lightning strikes, it rapidly heats the surrounding air to extremely high temperatures-up to about 54,000 °F (30,000 °C), which is much hotter than the surface of the Sun
. This intense heating causes the air to expand explosively, creating a shockwave as the air quickly compresses and then contracts as it cools
. This rapid expansion and contraction of air produces the sound we hear as thunder. The initial sharp crack is followed by rumbling as the air column continues to vibrate
. The sound can vary depending on the distance and nature of the lightning, ranging from a sudden loud crack to a long, low rumble
. In summary, thunder is the sound resulting from the shockwave created by the rapid heating and expansion of air caused by a lightning bolt
