Severe Thunderstorms Their Nature and Their Effects on Society

Rain showers, from towering cumulus clouds or from anvil-topped cumulonimbus, supply much of the water needed to sustain vegetation and fulfil human uses; they are beneficial in other ways. A small proportion of shower clouds, however, play their roles in an over-enthusiastic manner. Characterized as 'severe local storms', they are amongst the most violent and destructive of weather phenomena and form the subject of this article. The authors describe the general nature of these storm , their geographical distributions, their effects upon human activities, especially agriculture, and the dissemination of storm warnings. The status of efforts to modify storm is discussed.