What is relation of Lord shiva/RUDRA with storms?

Question

The rig veda 2:33:1 discribes Lord shiva father of maruts and maruts are considered storm gods?so is it beacuse lord shiva is father of maruts he is considered as head of storms god?

Answer 1

Your question enquires whether Lord Shiva Or Lord Rudra is the head /Leader of Vedic Maruts (Storm Gods).

I searched Rig-Veda about your question and found following verses.-:

Following is the verse you quoted in your question ,where Rudra is described as father of Maruts or Storm gods.

आ ते पितर्मरुतां सुम्नमेतु मा न: सूर्यस्य संदृशो युयोथा : |
अभि नो वीरो अर्वति क्षमेत प्र जायेमहि रुद्र प्रजाभि: ||1||

Aa Te PitarMarutam SumanMetu Ma Naha SuraySya SanNdruSho UyoThaHa
Abhi No Viro ArVati KshaMet Pra JayeMahi Rudra PrajaBhi ||1 ||

1 : FATHER of Maruts, let thy bliss approach us: exclude us not from looking on the sunlight. Gracious to our fleet courser be the Hero may we transplant us, Rudra, in our children.RV 2.33.1

Similarly I found 2 other verses confirming that … here are these

सत्यं त्वेषा अमवन्तो धवञ्चिदा रुद्रियास: | मिहं कृणवन्त्यवाताम् ||7||

satyaṃ tveṣā amavanto dhanvañ cid ā rudriyāsaḥ | mihaṃ kṛṇvanty avātām ||

7 Truly, they the fierce and mighty Sons of Rudra send their windless Rain e’en on the desert places.RV 1.38.7

---

रुद्रस्य ये मीळ्हुषः सन्ति पुत्रा यांश्चो नु दाध्र्विर्भरध्यै |
विदे हि माता महो मही षा सेत पर्श्निः सुभ्वे गर्भमाधात ||

rudrasya ye mīḷhuṣaḥ santi putrā yāṃśco nu dādhṛvirbharadhyai |
vide hi mātā maho mahī ṣā set pṛśniḥ subhve gharbhamādhāt ||

They who are Sons of the rain-pouring Rudra, whom the long-lasting One had power to foster: The Mighty Ones whose germ great Mother Prsni is known to have received for man’s advantage.RV 6.66.3

Verse 3 makes it clear that Rudra, the “rain-pouring” God is the father of the Maruts and that Prsni is the mother.

---

The storm gods –“Maruts” hold a prominent position in the Vedas, In Rug-Veda they are represented as friends and allies of Indra. There are various origins are assigned to Maruts They Rudra, sons and brothers of Indra.

Their birth story is also described in Shreemad Bhagvat Purana.

But In Rug-Veda Mandala 10 – Skukta – 103 – Verse 8 ,9 , we find mentioning Indra leading the Maruts. Here he is their leader.

इन्द्र आसां नेता बर्हस्पतिर्दक्षिणा यज्ञः पुर एतुसोमः |
देवसेनानामभिभञ्जतीनां जयन्तीनां मरुतोयन्त्वग्रम || 8||
इन्द्रस्य वर्ष्णो वरुणस्य राज्ञ आदित्यानां मरुतांशर्ध उग्रम |
महामनसां भुवनच्यवानां घोषोदेवानां जयतामुदस्थात || 9||

indra āsāṃ netā bṛhaspatirdakṣiṇā yajñaḥ pura etusomaḥ |
devasenānāmabhibhañjatīnāṃ jayantīnāṃ marutoyantvaghram ||
indrasya vṛṣṇo varuṇasya rājña ādityānāṃ marutāṃśardha ughram |
mahāmanasāṃ bhuvanacyavānāṃ ghoṣodevānāṃ jayatāmudasthāt ||

8 : Indra guide these: Bṛhaspati precede them, the guerdon, and the sacrifice, and Soma; And let the banded Maruts march in forefront of heavenly hosts that conquer and demolish. 9 Ours be the potent host of mighty Indra, King Varuṇa, and Maruts, and Ādityas. Uplifted is the shout of Gods who conquer high-minded Gods who cause the worlds to tremble.RV 10.103.8,9

Mandala VI has several verses that mention the Maruts being accordant with Indra or following Indra. Here is verse 11

मरुत्वन्तं वर्षभं ... ||
marutvantaṃ vṛṣabhaṃ ... || 11||

: The Bull, whose strength hath waxed, whom Maruts follow, free-giving Indra, the Celestial Ruler, Mighty, all-conquering, the victory-giver, him let us call to grant us new protection.RV 6.19.11 Here marutvantaṃ means Indra whom maruts follow.

---

Group of Maruts (Storm Gods) is called Marut Ganas .And In Rig-Veda Indra is described as leader of all celestial as well as terrestrial groups i.e. Ganas.

मखस्य ते तविषस्य पर जूतिमियर्मि वाचमम्र्ताय भूषन |
इन्द्र कषितीनामसि मानुषीणां विशां दैवीनामुत पूर्वयावा ||

makhasya te taviṣasya pra jūtimiyarmi vācamamṛtāya bhūṣan |
indra kṣitīnāmasi mānuṣīṇāṃ viśāṃ daivīnāmuta pūrvayāvā ||

2 I stimulate thy zeal, the Strong, the Hero decking my song of praise forth; Immortal. O Indra, thou art equally the Leader of heavenly hosts and human generations.RV 3.34.2

---

Conclusion – So looking at these verses and by and primary search of Rig-Veds we can see Indra is the leader of Maruts. But we won’t find any description of Lord Shiva or Lord Rudra being their leader.

_{Note – This is primary conclusion , as the vedic literature is vast , there is also possibility of mentioning Rudra /Shiva as their head /Leader. I will update the answer in future if I found anything regarding this.}