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DGCA Aviation Meteorology · 66 questions

Thunderstorms, Turbulence & Windshear: DGCA Aviation Meteorology Questions and Answers

66 practice questions on Thunderstorms, Turbulence & Windshear with answers and explanations, plus the key concepts and formulas, from the TrueHeading question bank.

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About this topic

Use this page to revise Thunderstorms, Turbulence & Windshear for the DGCA Aviation Meteorology paper. Below are the key ideas first, then 12 practice questions with answers and explanations, picked from the 66 questions in the TrueHeading bank for this topic.

In short: Cumulus, mature, dissipating.

Open the full set in the student zone to answer every question, track your accuracy and take timed mock tests.

Key concepts: Thunderstorms, Turbulence & Windshear

6 ideas to know cold.

What are the three stages of a thunderstorm?

Cumulus, mature, dissipating.

  • Cumulus: updrafts only
  • Mature: updrafts and downdrafts, rain, lightning, anvil forms
  • Dissipating: downdrafts dominate and the cell dies
updraft only1 Cumulusup + down + rain2 Maturedowndraft only3 Dissipating

Tip: It needs unstable air, moisture and a trigger to lift.

Thunderstorm hazards and avoidance?

Severe turbulence, hail, lightning, icing, windshear, microbursts, heavy rain and tornadoes.

  • Never fly under the anvil
  • Stay at least 10 NM from a Cb (20 NM if severe)
  • Don’t try to fly through, over or under

What is a microburst?

A small, intense downdraft from a Cb that spreads out at the ground.

  • Encounter order: headwind gain, downdraft, tailwind loss
  • Lasts only minutes, dangerous at take-off and landing
  • If a warning is given, go around
1 headwind2 downdraft3 tailwindheadwind, downdraft, tailwind: the aircraft sinks

Types of turbulence?

Convective, mechanical, clear-air (CAT), mountain wave and wake.

  • Mechanical: wind over obstacles, rough low-level air
  • Mountain wave: lenticular clouds, rotor below
  • CAT: near jet streams, no cloud warning

Wind shear: what is it?

A change in wind speed or direction over a short distance, horizontally or vertically.

  • Greatest hazards: microbursts, fronts, inversions, low-level jets
  • Reduce speed fluctuation by flying the approach carefully and using the correct additive

What are the stages of a thunderstorm?

Cumulus (updraughts only), mature (up- and downdraughts, rain, lightning), dissipating (downdraughts only).

  • Lasts about 1 hour per cell
  • Hazards: turbulence, icing, hail, windshear, microburst, lightning
  • Avoid by at least 20 NM

Practice questions: Thunderstorms, Turbulence & Windshear

Tap “Show answer” after you have tried each one.

Q1The three stages of a thunderstorm cell are:

  1. initial, severe and tropical
  2. cumulus, mature and dissipating
  3. towering, anvil and rain
  4. formation, rain and clear
Show answer

Answer: B. cumulus, mature and dissipating

Updrafts dominate in the cumulus stage; both updrafts and downdrafts in the mature stage; downdrafts in the dissipating stage.

Q2The anvil of a cumulonimbus cloud points:

  1. toward the wind at the surface
  2. toward the east always
  3. in the direction of the upper winds
  4. toward the north always
Show answer

Answer: C. in the direction of the upper winds

Strong upper winds blow the ice-crystal top downstream.

Q3During an approach into a microburst, the sequence of wind experienced is:

  1. tailwind only
  2. headwind, then downdraught, then tailwind
  3. tailwind, then downdraught, then headwind
  4. headwind only
Show answer

Answer: B. headwind, then downdraught, then tailwind

The aircraft first gets performance-increasing headwind, then loses lift as the downdraught and tailwind arrive.

Q4A low-level jet or inversion windshear typically occurs:

  1. on clear nights with a strong inversion
  2. in unstable air only
  3. in the stratosphere
  4. at noon in summer
Show answer

Answer: A. on clear nights with a strong inversion

A stable layer decouples the surface wind from stronger winds aloft.

Q5The recommended action when flying near a thunderstorm:

  1. avoid by at least 10 nm (20 nm for severe cells)
  2. fly through the weakest echo
  3. fly under the anvil
  4. fly directly overhead
Show answer

Answer: A. avoid by at least 10 nm (20 nm for severe cells)

Hail can be thrown up to 10 nm from the cell; the anvil can contain turbulence and hail.

Q6Heavy rain beyond a thunderstorm cell may not appear on weather radar because of:

  1. refraction
  2. noise jamming
  3. attenuation
  4. sky wave
Show answer

Answer: C. attenuation

The nearer heavy rain absorbs/scatters the beam, creating a shadow.

Q7Turbulence caused by mechanical mixing is greatest when:

  1. the air is calm
  2. the wind is light over the sea
  3. a strong wind blows over rough terrain
  4. the air is stable and wind is light
Show answer

Answer: C. a strong wind blows over rough terrain

Friction produces eddies that extend to about 2 000 ft.

Q8The most severe form of turbulence in a thunderstorm occurs:

  1. in the anvil only
  2. above the tropopause
  3. at the surface only
  4. in the mature cell, at mid-levels, with strong up and down drafts
Show answer

Answer: D. in the mature cell, at mid-levels, with strong up and down drafts

Maximum vertical wind shear within the cell.

Q9A tornado forms from:

  1. radiation fog
  2. a sea breeze front
  3. a rotating column of air below a cumulonimbus, reaching the ground
  4. warm front lift
Show answer

Answer: C. a rotating column of air below a cumulonimbus, reaching the ground

Funnel clouds are reported as FC in a METAR.

Q10A good indication of a tendency for thunderstorms is:

  1. stratus
  2. altocumulus castellanus in the morning
  3. nimbostratus
  4. clear sky
Show answer

Answer: B. altocumulus castellanus in the morning

It indicates mid-level instability.

Q11Lightning strikes on aircraft are most likely:

  1. in the stratosphere
  2. near the freezing level and in or near cumulonimbus
  3. at the surface only
  4. in clear air only
Show answer

Answer: B. near the freezing level and in or near cumulonimbus

Charge separation in the cloud and passage through the 0 °C layer.

Q12Wake turbulence is strongest when the generating aircraft is:

  1. fast and light
  2. small and flapped
  3. heavy, slow and clean (low speed, high angle of attack)
  4. light, fast and flapped
Show answer

Answer: C. heavy, slow and clean (low speed, high angle of attack)

Vortex strength increases with weight and decreases with speed.

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More DGCA Aviation Meteorology topics

Atmosphere & ISA125 QPressure & Altimetry103 QTemperature, Humidity & Cloud Base94 QStability & Adiabatics71 QPressure Systems & Depressions27 QWinds & Upper Winds71 QJet Streams27 QClouds, Fog & Precipitation92 QFronts & Air Masses48 QIcing42 QTropical Cyclones15 QClimatology & Monsoon32 QWeather Reports & Charts113 QMeteorological Calculations174 Q
All DGCA questionsCPL exam syllabusHow to prepareAviation Meteorology formulas

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