What are the three characteristics of a thunderstorm?

Generally, thunderstorms require three conditions to form:
Moisture
An unstable airmass
A lifting force (heat)

All thunderstorms, regardless of type, go through three stages: the developing stage, the mature stage, and the dissipation stage.[8] The average thunderstorm has a 24 km (15 mi) diameter. Depending on the conditions present in the atmosphere, each of these three stages take an average of 30 minutes