I could watch timelapse footage of supercell thunderstorms forming all day. They just have an unmistakeable awe to them that makes you respect and appreciate the power of nature. For previous posts of supercells on the sifter, see here, here and here. The amazing footage above was captured by storm chaser Stephen Locke.

A supercell is a thunderstorm that is characterized by the presence of a mesocyclone: a deep, persistently rotating updraft. Of the four classifications of thunderstorms (supercell, squall line, multi-cell, and single-cell), supercells are the least common and have the potential to be the most severe. Supercells are often isolated from other thunderstorms, and can dominate the local climate up to 32 kilometres (20 mi) away. [source]

Supercells can occur anywhere in the world under the right pre-existing weather conditions, but they are most common in the Great Plains of the United States in an area known as Tornado Alley and in the plains of Argentina, Uruguay and southern Brazil. [source]