thun ‧ der ‧ storm /ˈθʌndəstɔːm $ -dərstɔːrm/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
a storm with thunder and lightning
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THESAURUS
▪ storm a period of very bad weather when there is a lot of rain or snow, strong winds, and often lightning:
The ship sank in a violent storm.
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They got caught in a storm on top of the mountain.
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The storm hit the coast of Florida on Tuesday.
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The cost of repairing storm damage will run into millions of pounds.
▪ thunderstorm a storm in which there is a lot of ↑ thunder (=loud noise in the sky) and ↑ lightning (=flashes of light in the sky) :
When I was young i was terrified of thunderstorms.
▪ hurricane a storm that has very strong fast winds and that moves over water – used about storms in the North Atlantic Ocean:
Hurricane Katrina battered the US Gulf Coast.
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the hurricane season
▪ typhoon a very violent tropical storm – used about storms in the Western Pacific Ocean:
A powerful typhoon hit southern China today.
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Weather experts are monitoring typhoons in Hong Kong and China.
▪ cyclone a severe storm affecting a large area, in which the wind moves around in a big circle:
Thousands of people died when a tropical cyclone hit Bangladesh.
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Cyclone ‘Joy’ inflicted damage estimated at $40 million, with winds of up to 145 miles per hour.
▪ tornado ( also twister American English informal ) an extremely violent storm that consists of air that spins very quickly and causes a lot of damage:
The tornado ripped the roof off his house.
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For the second time in a week deadly tornadoes have torn through Tennessee.
▪ snowstorm a storm with strong winds and a lot of snow:
A major snowstorm blew across Colorado.
▪ blizzard a severe snowstorm in which the snow is blown around by strong winds, making it difficult to see anything:
We got stuck in a blizzard.
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Denver is bracing itself for blizzard conditions.