Personified or respectful term for thunder, often used when speaking to children or in a folkloric context. The honorific さま adds a sense of awe or familiarity.
子どもに「雷様が怒ってるよ」と言った。
I told the child, 'The thunder god is angry.'
昔話では、雷様が雲の上で太鼓を叩いて
In old tales, the thunder god beats a drum above the clouds.
Standard kanji spelling with honorific 様.
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; less common but still seen.
Compound of 雷 (かみなり, thunder) and honorific suffix 様 (さま).