Lightning is sometimes beautiful to see, but it is one of the most dangerous natural phenomena known to man. Many people die each year from being struck by lightning.Lightning comes from clouds, but how exactly does this happen? Like a battery, a cloud contains both positive and negative charges. The positive charges are at the top and the negative charges are at the bottom. Many scientists believe that these charges are the result of evaporation and condensation of water vapors in the clouds. As the cloud gets bigger with more and more water vapor collected, more and more positive and negative charges will occur.

The cloud then becomes like a great big capacitor in the sky. A capacitor is an electrical device that consists of two conductive surfaces separated by an insulating media. Gradually, there is an electrical build-up, which will eventually need an outlet of release.

As the cloud builds up a strong electrical field, the air around the cloud begins to break down. This means that the air is separated into positive ions and electrons. We can say now that the air has become ionized. This ionized air or plasma is an excellent conductor of electricity.

As the ionized air increases in size, the need for release causes an electric highway to be built towards the Earth. This electrical highway is shaped like a stepladder. One cloud will have many stepladders branching out from it. All these stepladders are looking for what is known as positive streamers. Streamers are the result of objects on the earth reacting to the strong electric field. Anything can produce a streamer, even the human body. The streamers stretch upward as the stepladders approach downward, bridging the gap.

Once the streamer and stepladder meet, the highway is complete for the flow of electricity from the cloud to the earth. Following the flow of tremendous amounts of electricity, there is also a great deal of heat. The level of heat is even hotter than the surface of the sun and this is what causes the brilliant, white-blue flash of light, called lightning.

The air around the bolt of lightning is heated to a very high temperature in a very short time and it explodes in a loud bang. This loud sound is what is known as thunder. Thunder is the shockwave radiating away from the strike path. This shockwave is powerful enough to damage buildings, people and other objects if they are near enough. However, the shockwave will reduce in intensity as it travels further and further away from its originating point.

If you are caught outside in a storm, look for appropriate shelter. Do not hide under trees or any tall objects. Never lie down on the ground, as the current can flow from the strike point through the ground to you. If indoors, do not use phones. If you must make an emergency call, use a cordless phone or a cellular phone. Also stay away from plumbing pipes or any metallic objects that have a chance of conducting the current to you.

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