Äikesepilvedeks

Äikesepilvedeks, also known as cumulonimbus clouds, are dense, towering vertical clouds associated with thunderstorms and atmospheric instability. They are the most dramatic and powerful of cloud types, capable of producing heavy precipitation, lightning, thunder, hail, and even tornadoes. These clouds form when warm, moist air rises rapidly through the atmosphere, a process called convection. As the air ascends, it cools and condenses, forming water droplets and ice crystals. The strong updrafts within the cloud can carry these particles to very high altitudes, sometimes reaching the top of the troposphere.

The characteristic anvil shape of a mature cumulonimbus cloud forms when the rising air reaches the tropopause, a stable layer of the atmosphere, and is forced to spread out horizontally. The base of an äikesepilv is typically dark and can be quite low to the ground, while its top can extend tens of thousands of feet into the atmosphere. Within the cloud, intense electrical charges build up due to collisions between ice crystals and water droplets, leading to the discharge of lightning. Rain, hail, and strong winds are common phenomena associated with these formidable weather systems.