LIGHTNING ABOVE LAKE MICHIGAN (IMAGE)

• Lightning is a powerful burst of electricity that happens very quickly during a thunderstorm.
• Lightning is caused by an electrical charge in the atmosphere that is unbalanced.

• The movement of rain and ice inside a thundercloud creates an electrical charge, with the negative charge (electrons) forming at the bottom of the cloud and the positive charge (protons) forming at the top.

• Lightning can occur inside clouds, between clouds and from clouds to the ground.

• Thousands of people are struck by lightning every year.

• Most lightning occurs over land rather than oceans, with around 70% of it occurring in the Tropics.

• There are bolts of lightning striking somewhere on Earth every second.

• Lightning strikes usually last around 1 or 2 microseconds.

• The average temperature of lightning is around 20000 °C (36000 °F).

• Astraphobia is the fear of thunder and lightning.