During which stage of a thunderstorm does the highest incidence of precipitation occur?

The highest incidence of precipitation during a thunderstorm occurs during the mature stage. In this phase, the storm is fully developed, with strong updrafts and heavy precipitation. The presence of both updrafts and downdrafts leads to intense rainfall, hail, and potentially severe weather phenomena such as strong winds and lightning. This is the stage where the cumulus clouds have developed into towering cumulonimbus clouds that can produce significant amounts of rain.

As the storm progresses into the active stage and then the dissipating stage, precipitation typically decreases. In the active stage, although there may still be some rainfall, it is not as intense or widespread as in the mature stage. The dissipating stage is characterized by a reduction in precipitation as the storm begins to weaken and the downdraft dominates, stabilizing the atmosphere and resulting in much lower rainfall amounts. Thus, the mature stage stands out as the period of maximum precipitation intensity in the life cycle of a thunderstorm.