Sound Distance Calculator (Thunder)
Estimate how far away a lightning strike is by timing the delay between the flash and the thunder.
Estimated distance
Distance to lightning
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Speed of sound used
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Approximation
Safety note
Light arrives almost instantly; thunder arrives later because sound travels much slower than light.
How we calculate
Speed of sound (dry air) is approximated as: v ≈ 331 + 0.6×T (m/s), where T is °C. Distance ≈ v × time.