The Physics of Thunderstorms

When: Tuesday 12 February 2019, at 7.30pm and followed by light refreshments

Where: Berrill Lecture Theatre, The Open University, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA

Speaker: Prof. Paul Hardaker, Institute of Physics

Hosted by: Raymond Mackintosh

Thunderstorms are ever-present across the globe and for centuries have had a strong cultural influence.  Our knowledge about thunderstorms has been largely driven though by our need to protect ourselves from their impact on local communities and infrastructure. This talk will explore what we know about the physics of thunderstorms and how this has helped us to understand how and where they occur, both on the earth and on other planets, the important role they play in balancing the earth’s energy budget, how to mitigate the weather hazards they create and how we can use this knowledge to make predictions and give warning.