Description:

✅ No, thunder cannot occur without lightning.

Why?

Thunder is caused by lightning: The extreme heat of a lightning bolt (up to 30,000°C) instantly heats the air, creating a shockwave that we hear as thunder.

No lightning = no thunder: While you might not always see the lightning (e.g., it’s hidden by clouds or too far away), the sound of thunder always means lightning happened.

Exceptions?

Distant storms: You may hear thunder without visible lightning if the storm is over the horizon ("heat lightning" is just lightning too far away to see).

Other loud booms: Events like meteors or explosions can mimic thunder, but they’re not true thunder.

Fun Fact: Counting seconds between lightning and thunder tells you how far away the storm is (5 seconds ≈ 1 mile)! ⚡🌩️