Fire Weather
Pyrocumulonimbus
Tim's Severe Weather Australia
Updated 6/13/2026
Glossary Term
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Quick Definition
A towering fire-generated thunderstorm cloud (pyroCb) that can launch embers, lightning and erratic winds far ahead of a bushfire.
Key Takeaways
Pyrocumulonimbus is a key concept in weather and meteorology
Falls under the Fire Weather category of weather terms
Understanding this term helps interpret weather forecasts accurately
Detailed Explanation
<p>Pyrocumulonimbus clouds form when the intense heat plume above a large bushfire reaches the upper troposphere. The resulting thunderstorm can produce dry lightning that starts new fires, downbursts that change fire behaviour, and ember showers that travel many kilometres. PyroCb events are rare but extremely dangerous — they were a defining feature of the 2019–20 Black Summer fires.</p>
Related Keywords
pyrocumulonimbus
pyroCb
fire thunderstorm
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