Weather & Water

Thunderstorm risk

Technical visualThunderstorm over water
Thunderstorm over waterA boat lies ahead of an approaching thunderstorm cell, lightning, and a bounded warning area.APPROACHING CELLVESSEL
Thunderstorm over waterA boat lies ahead of an approaching thunderstorm cell, lightning, and a bounded warning area.121APPROACHING CELL2VESSEL
Treat thunderstorm hazards as a combined wind, wave, visibility and lightning problem; use official warnings and current observations.

Every thunderstorm contains lightning.

Marine thunderstorms can also produce:

abrupt wind shifts

severe gusts

hail

torrential rain

rapidly reduced visibility

steep locally generated waves

waterspouts

There is no separate NWS "lightning warning" required before lightning becomes dangerous.

Early shelter is preferable to trying to outrun an approaching storm at the last moment.

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