Thunderstorm gales refer to strong winds with a wind speed ≥17 m·s-1 caused by severe convective weather systems. It is one of mesoscale and microscale severe convective weather causing huge disasters. Understanding their formation mechanisms and conducting accurate nowcasting and early warning are the keys to disaster prevention and mitigation. This article summarizes the existing studies on the formation mechanisms and nowcasting of thunderstorm gales, including synoptic patterns, ambient characteristics, different formation mechanisms and windstorm morphologies, as well as nowcasting technology. It has been found that most thunderstorm gales are generated in supercells, squall lines, and bow echoes through strong downdraft, gust front, momentum transmission, horizontal pressure gradient between outflow and ambient wind, dynamic forcing and superimposed effect of mesoscale vortex, and pumping effect of updraft on low-level warm and moist inflow, etc. On the basis of the above review, the difficulties and much-needed issues of the formation mechanisms and nowcasting of thunderstorm gales are discussed.