Why does it seem that thunderstorms/lightning occur at night?

Answer 1

I have seen thunderstorms occur during all different hours of the day/night.
It all really depends on when that storm system moves into your area. Sometimes they move in early in the day, sometimes they don't.

Also, another thing could be that the sun is the cause of surface heating throughout the daytime hours. At night, the sun no longer heats the surface. This warm air can be forced upwards, and the cooler air aloft cools the rising air. The process can lead to unstable air masses, which can lead to thunderstorms.

Answer 2

I think it is a mis-conception on your part. At night, lightning looks more spectacular. Things quiet down at night, so thunder may be more noticeable. Thunder and lightning can occur at any time of the day or night. The most likely times are summer afternoons. The sun heats the earth, causing hot air to rise then collide with cooler air above. I once spent September in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I remember it raining every day from 2:30 to 3:00 pm.

Answer 3

My guess would be that it is related to the fact that you have evaporation of moisture into the air going on primarily during the daylight hours (world average), and that temperature drops at night in any given place, allowing water vapor a chance to condense into clouds and spill the water back down again. These clouds are the source.

Answer 4

You can't see lightning as well in the day. Also, it's something about the sun being out of the way.

Answer 5

thunderstorms always occur whit cumulonimbus (Cb) form of clouds and has no depended to time of day
but when sky covered by Cb clouds sky will go to dark as night or afternoon

Answer 6

my guess is that it would be connected to the differences in temperature between the air down here and the air up at cloud level.