Astraphobia

Astraphobia, also called astrapophobia, brontophobia, ceraunophobia or tonitrophobia, is a specific phobia defined as an intense, unwarranted fear of thunder and lightning, including a disproportionate fear of ordinary or distant thunderstorms. People with the condition often show physical and emotional signs of distress during a storm well beyond the actual danger present, including trembling, crying, sweating, a racing heart, nausea, a sudden urge to use the bathroom, a pervasive sense of dread, and covering or plugging the ears against the sound of thunder. Sufferers commonly seek reassurance from other people, find their anxiety intensifies when they are alone, and may retreat to a sheltered space such as a basement or closet and try to muffle the sound of the storm. A characteristic pattern is heightened, anxious monitoring of weather forecasts, with some individuals checking conditions compulsively and, in severe cases, developing an agoraphobia-like reluctance to leave home without first confirming the weather is clear.