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In the fraction of a second that it arcs across the sky, lightning can reach temperatures of 29,982ºC (54,000ºF)!
The average lightning bolt also contains anywhere from 100-million to 1-billion volts, and billions of watts of power.
This means a single lightning strike could power a 100-watt lightbulb for three months!
That’s a whole lot of power from something that’s here and gone so quickly!
The whole process happens so fast that when the channel of air left behind collapses, it creates thunderous booms!
Most of the time, lightning flashes occur between the clouds and nearby buildings, other tall objects, or the ground.
However, lightning can also occur inside of clouds, or between clouds. This often causes bright flashing clouds and beautiful streams of light to dance across the sky!
As you might have guessed, all of the electricity from lightning is very dangerous.
So if you see flashes of lightning or hear thunder in the distance, be sure to take shelter until the weather passes.
Thunder never happens without lightning, so listening closely for nearby storms is a simple way to stay safe!
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