Thunderstorms | NESDIS | National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service Official websites use .gov .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS lock ) or means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Thunderstorms The terms "convection" and "thunderstorms'' often are used interchangeably, although thunderstorms are only one form of convection, which is a vertical transport of heat and moisture in the atmosphere, especially by updrafts and downdrafts in an unstable atmosphere. NOAA-20 saw a series of thunderstorms bubbling up over southeastern Africa, which appear in this true color image captured by the satellite's VIIRS sensor above. Examples of Thunderstorms Thunderstorms Stretch Across Much of the Southern U.S. Gulf Coast thunderstorms bubble up above a blanket of clouds in this GOES East view from April 5, 2019. See these storms Thunderstorms Stretch Across Much of the Southern U.S. GOES-East Watches Thunderstorms Blossom Over Cuba On April 26, 2020, the GOES-East satellite captured explosive yet beautiful thunderstorms unfolding across Cuba. Watch thunderstorms over Cuba GOES-East Watches Thunderstorms Blossom Over Cuba