Are thunderstorms more common in big cities? The answer is yes. Atlanta is a great example of the urban heat island effect. During my visit to Atlanta in June of 2018, every day featured a strong or severe afternoon thunderstorm, some with majestic shelf clouds.
Sources:
https://www.atlantamagazine.com/news-culture-articles/study-atlanta-is-a-hotbed-of-summer-thunderstorms/
https://www.weather.gov/jetstream/tstorms_intro
http://www.weatherimagery.com/blog/do-cities-create-thunderstorms/
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