Thunderstorm model of the temporal EAS disc structure

It is shown that non-relativistic neutrons evaporated by the air nuclei aft er the propagation of the main shower front produce a signal in neutron sen sitive detectors, which can be delayed by milliseconds with respect to the signal from shower electrons and muons. Such temporal structure is analogou s to that observed in another atmospheric phenomenon - the thunderstorm, wh en due to the different velocity of light and sound the thunder appears wit h a significant delay after the lightning.