Editing Cumulonimbus cloud (section)

== Effects ==
{{See also|Severe weather|Thunderstorm|Tornado|Crown flash}}
Cumulonimbus storm cells can produce torrential [[rain]] of a [[convection|convective]] nature (often in the form of a [[rain shaft]]) and [[flash flood]]ing, as well as [[straight-line winds]]. Most storm cells die after about 20&nbsp;minutes, when the [[precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]] causes more [[downdraft]] than [[updraft]], causing the energy to dissipate. If there is sufficient instability and moisture in the [[Earth's atmosphere|atmosphere]], however (on a hot summer day, for example), the [[Outflow boundary|outflowing]] moisture and [[Gust front|gusts]] from one storm cell can lead to new cells forming just a few kilometres (miles) from the former one a few tens of minutes later or in some cases hundreds of kilometres (miles) away many hours later. This process cause thunderstorm formation (and decay) to last for several hours or even over multiple days. Cumulonimbus clouds can also occur as dangerous winter storms called "[[thundersnow]]" which are associated with particularly intense snowfall rates and with [[blizzard]] conditions when accompanied by strong winds that further reduce [[visibility]]. However, cumulonimbus clouds are most common in [[tropics|tropical]] regions and are also frequent in moist environments during the warm season in the [[middle latitudes]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/2015/09/flying-through-‘thunderstorm-alley’|title=Flying through 'Thunderstorm Alley'|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180618075755/https://www.nst.com.my/news/2015/09/flying-through-%E2%80%98thunderstorm-alley%E2%80%99|archive-date=18 June 2018|date=31 December 2014|website=[[New Straits Times]]}}</ref> A [[dust storm]] caused by a cumulonimbus downburst is a [[haboob]].

=== Aviation ===
{{Main|Cumulonimbus and aviation}}
[[File:Cumulonimbo con pileus. Volando a 11.000 metros sobre Brasil.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of a cumulonimbus with pileus, flying over Brazil]]
Cumulonimbus are a notable hazard to aviation mostly due to potent wind currents but also reduced visibility and lightning, as well as [[atmospheric icing]] and hail if flying inside the cloud. Within and in the vicinity of thunderstorms there is significant [[turbulence]] and [[clear-air turbulence]] (particularly [[downwind]]), respectively. Wind shear within and under a cumulonimbus is often intense with [[downburst]]s being responsible for many accidents in earlier decades before training and technological [[Convective storm detection|detection]] and [[Nowcasting (meteorology)|nowcasting]] measures were implemented. A small form of downburst, the microburst, is the most often implicated in crashes because of their rapid onset and swift changes in wind and aerodynamic conditions over short distances. Most downbursts are associated with visible precipitation shafts, however, dry microbursts are generally invisible to the naked eye. At least one fatal commercial airline [[NLM CityHopper Flight 431|accident]] was associated with flying through a tornado.