What does Thunderstorms cover?
Thunderstorms concentrate almost every flight hazard in one place: severe turbulence, hail, icing, lightning, wind shear and downbursts. The exam focuses on the conditions that create them and the three stages of their life cycle.
What this subject covers
- Conditions for thunderstorm formation (instability, moisture, lift)
- Life cycle: cumulus, mature and dissipating stages
- Associated hazards: hail, turbulence, wind shear, downbursts
- Air-mass vs frontal and squall-line storms
Study tip
Know which hazards belong to the mature stage — that's where the updraughts, downdraughts and the worst turbulence coexist, and it's the stage examiners ask about most.
Frequently asked questions
What three conditions are needed for a thunderstorm?
Unstable air, sufficient moisture, and a lifting mechanism (heating, fronts or orography) to start the air rising.
Which stage is most dangerous?
The mature stage, when strong updraughts and downdraughts coexist, producing the worst turbulence, hail and wind shear.
