Blessings over thunder and lightning
Question
Which blessings does one recite over thunder and lightning?
Answer
The law is that one can recite both “Who makes the work of creation” and “His strength and His power fill the universe” over both thunder and lightning; moreover, one can recite the same blessing over lightning and then repeat it over thunder, that is, one can recite “Who makes the work of creation” over both, or “His strength and His power fill the universe” over both. However, the custom is to recite “Who makes the work of creation” over lightning, and “His strength and His power fill the universe” over thunder. The Turei Zahav commentary to the Shulchan Oruch explains that thunder demonstrates G-d’s might more that lightening does, therefore, the blessing “His strength and His power fill the universe” is said over thunder. But, again, in principle, both blessings are fit for both phenomena, only in order not to say the same blessing twice, the custom is to recite “Who makes the work of creation” over lightening, etc.
Source
Shulchan Oruch, section Orach Chaim, chapter 227, Azamrah LiShmechah Newsletter, #79-80