Multicellular thunderstorm
A multicellular thunderstorm cluster is a thunderstorm that is composed of multiple cells, each being at a different stage in the life cycle of a thunderstorm. It appears as several anvils clustered together. A cell is an updraft/downdraft couplet. These different cells will dissipate as new cells form and continue the life of the multicellular thunderstorm cluster with each cell taking a turn as the dominant cell in the group. New cells usually form in the upwind (usually western or southwestern) part of the storm, mature cells are usually in the center of the storm, and dissipating cells are usually in the downwind (usually eastern or northeastern) part of the storm. The multicellular storm cluster can last for hours while each individual cell should only last for about 20 minutes. These storms can sometimes be severe and sometimes have awkward paths due to the thunderstorm sometimes not following the path of the cells that compose it. Any severe activity in one of these storms will most likely come from the dominant cell near or after its peak updraft strength. This is because there could be severe hail from a strong updraft that lasts only a short period of time, with damaging winds. A multicellular storm can sometimes develop into a Mesoscale Convective System (MCS) or be a squall line.