Storms questions

The Saharan Air Layer (SAL) is an extremely hot, dry and sometimes dust-laden layer of the atmosphere that often overlies the cooler, more-humid surface air of the Atlantic Ocean. The SAL passes over the Canary Islands where the phenomenon is named "Calima" and manifests as a fog that reduces visibility and deposits a layer of dust over everything.

Catatumbo lightning is an atmospheric phenomenon in Venezuela. It occurs only over the mouth of the Catatumbo River where it empties into Lake Maracaibo. The phenomenon is characterized by almost continuous lightning and occurs during 260 nights a year, 10 hours per day and up to 280 times per hour. It has been known for centuries as the Lighthouse of Maracaibo, since it is visible for miles around Lake Maracaibo

Brontophobia is an abnormal fear of thunder and lightning that can be developed both by humans and animals. A person with brontophobia will often feel anxious during a thunderstorm, even when they understand that the threat to them is minimal.

Officially, the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale is used only to describe hurricanes forming in the Atlantic Ocean and northern Pacific Ocean east of the International Date Line. Other areas use different scales to label these storms, which are called "cyclones" or "typhoons", depending on the area.