thunder, lightning bolt
雷 centers on the dramatic electrical discharge in a storm: thunder and lightning bolts. The two meanings are closely linked as the visible flash and the accompanying sound.
雷 combines 雨 (rain) with 田 (field), likely depicting rain falling on fields with the idea of thunder and lightning accompanying storms. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the rain association is clear.
Rain 雨 falls from the sky, and the field 田 below is struck by a sudden flash and boom: thunder and lightning.
For ライ, imagine a loud thunderclap that sounds like a lion's roar: lion -> ライ, and the thunder shakes the field under the rain.
lightning; thunder; thunderbolt
land mine
torpedo
lightning strike; lightning bolt
lightning strike
thunderstorm; thundershower
thunder and lightning
god of thunder
thunder; thunderclap; crash of thunder
(sea) mine
depth charge
thunder accompanied by rain
torpedo
lightning rod
thundercloud
sudden peal of thunder; thunderclap
ptarmigan (Lagopus muta, esp. the Japanese ptarmigan, Lagopus muta japonica); grouse
detonator; primer; percussion cap
lightning
thunder