Lightning is a significant weather hazard and occurs at an average rate of 50 to 100 discharges per second worldwide. "You sometimes see the lightning flash but you are too far away to hear the thunder. The repeated collision of ice crystals and graupel in clouds is associated with the buildup of electrical charge. (Right) Towers taller than 30 metres provide protection for an area 30 metres high and 60 metres wide. These charges reside on water drops, ice particles, or both.Cloud-to-ground lightning is initiated by a preliminary breakdown process within the cloud, typically between the centre region of negative charge and the small positive charge below it.

Be Safe in a Storm Lightning is … Most, if not all, lightning flashes produced by storms start inside the cloud. Thus, a sonic boom occurs, creating a sound wave that goes after a bolt of lightning or what we know as thunder. ☯.This heat causes surrounding air to rapidly expand and vibrate, which creates the pealing thunder we hear a short time after seeing a lightning …

A narrow lightning channel can reach extreme temperatures of up to 25,000° Celsius.

Where does lightning strike? Towers between 15 and 30 metres high create protected zones of similar shape but with height and width equal to tower height.Lightning rod protection system for a residential buildingThe flow of electricity from a lightning strike is channeled harmlessly around the outside of the building and into the ground.This article was most recently revised and updated by In 1752 Franklin proved that lightning was an example of electric conduction by flying a silk kite during a thunderstorm. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica.Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. He then used the accumulated charge from the… Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription.

Typically, there is a large volume of positive charge in the upper regions of the cloud, a large negative charge in the centre, and a small positive charge in the lower regions. This electrification is particularly large in cumulonimbus clouds as a result of vigorous vertical mixing and collisions. It may have reddish (“heat”) color, like sunsets, because of scattering of blue light. How does lightning occur? (Top) As shown in the chart, the elapsed time between seeing a flash of lightning and hearing the thunder is roughly three seconds for each kilometre, or five seconds for each mile.

Such heat causes air molecules to heat and expands violently and rapidly, even quicker than the sound’s speed.

It will also heat the air. When the accumulated electric charges in a thunderstorm become sufficiently large, lightning discharges take place between opposite charge regions, between charged regions and the ground, or from a charged region to the neutral atmosphere. This process creates a channel of partially Lightning is a significant weather hazard and occurs at an average rate of 50 to 100 discharges per second worldwide.

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.Lightning is a visible electrical discharge from a Lightning is very dangerous. Most lightning occurs within the clouds. A related term, heat lightning, is any lightning (IC or CG) or lightning-induced illumination that is too far away for the thunder to be heard. There are a lot of misconceptions about heat lightning, but it’s no different than regular lightning. The main bolt or stroke will go back up to the cloud. When lightning is likely to occur, people are advised to stay indoors or in a car, away from open doors …

Get kids back-to-school ready with Expedition: Learn! (Bottom) An observer's relative distance from the main lightning channel and its secondary branches determines whether thunder is heard to start with a sudden clap or a softer rumbling.Lightning rod types(Left top) Vertical rods or masts up to 15 metres in height create lightning protection zones that extend in a 45° cone from the rod's tip. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click Comments are subject to our community guidelines, which can be viewed Huge thunder and lightning storm hits the mountain above Colwyn Bay on the north Wales coastCredit: 2020 Freelance Photos North Wales www.fpnw.co.uk Incredible footage shows lightning in Edinburgh sky amid heavy thunderstorms