Why is lightning so loud?
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To add to the other answers, what you get at the location of the lightning strike is an actual shockwave. A shockwave is a bit different from just a pressure wave in that it moves above the speed of sound. It loses energy rapidly and will eventually become a pressure wave, but it starts basically like a shockwave an explosive would set off.
It’s also why a plane flying at supersonic speeds is so loud, going faster than the speed of sound creates a shockwave as well.
If you’ve used or use firearms, you might know the difference in noise between rounds that are subsonic and supersonic.
If you’re ever near a lightning strike, you can actually feel the vibration from the resulting shockwave. I’ve had it strike near enough to shake the entire house before. Since light travel faster, you can sometimes tell by the flash that you’ll feel the vibrations soon.
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