Some atmospheric disturbances produce the kind of extreme weather events making the national and international new headlines on a regular basis. Just about everyone is interested in knowing more about hurricanes, typhoons and tornadoes. There is often confusion about whether or not they are the same thing and whether, for example, we can control these extremely violent phenomena. Thunder and lightning affect many people but how many of us understand what generates such massive electrical discharges and why they occur more at some times of year than at others?
A popular addition to the...