why does thunder happen

Thunder happens because of lightning. When lightning strikes, it heats the surrounding air extremely quickly to temperatures around 27,000°C (48,632°F). This rapid heating causes the air to expand explosively, creating a shockwave. As the air expands and then contracts back, this produces the loud sound known as thunder. The shockwave is similar to the noise produced by an explosion and travels through the air causing the rumbling or booming sound heard during a thunderstorm. Thunder is essentially the sound of the air violently rushing back to its normal state after being heated by the lightning bolt.