A thunderstorm is a powerful storm defined by lightning and thunder, arising when warm, moist air rises rapidly and condenses into towering cumulonimbus clouds that can reach over 20 kilometers in height. These storms are classified into single-cell, multi-cell, and the most severe supercell types, which can rotate and spawn hazardous phenomena like large hail, strong winds, and tornadoes. They occur most frequently in mid-latitude regions where warm tropical and cool polar air collide, and while they often form damaging squall lines, larger mesoscale systems can even contribute to hurricane development. A particularly dangerous variant is the dry thunderstorm, which produces little to no precipitation but can ignite devastating wildfires through cloud-to-ground lightning. Scientists study these storms using weather radar, stations, and photography, and they aren't unique to Earth—similar storms have been observed on Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and likely Venus.