This is called rectification, and rectifier diodes are most commonly used in low current power supplies. A switching diode is most often used to turn a circuit on or off, and band switching diodes are used for switching high frequency band signals.
Thunder occurs when energy from lightning heats and rapidly expands the air. The resulting sound wave gets heard as thunder. While lightning and thunder occur at roughly the same time, lightning travels at the speed of light, or at 186,000 miles a second, while thunder travels at the speed of sound, equivalent to one-fifth of a mile in one second. People see the lightning long before they hear the thunder.
Facts about Thunderstorms. They may occur singly, in clusters or in lines. Some of the most severe occur when a single thunderstorm affects one location for an extended time. Thunderstorms typically produce heavy rain for a brief period, anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour.