Lightning FAQ - Does lightning travel upward or downward? :: Storm Highway Weather Library (2024)

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Lightning FAQ - Does lightning travel upward or downward? :: Storm Highway Weather Library? ›

Weather Library > Lightning FAQ: Does lightning travel upward or downward? The answer is BOTH: There are distinct types of lightning strikes to earth that can travel in either direction - cloud-to-ground lightning and ground-to-cloud lightning.

Does lightning strike from the sky down, or the ground up? The answer is both. Cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning comes from the sky down, but the part you see comes from the ground up. A typical cloud-to-ground flash lowers a path of negative electricity (that we cannot see) towards the ground in a series of spurts.

Most lightning starts inside a thunderstorm and travels through the cloud. It can then stay within the cloud or continue to travel through the open air and eventually to ground.

Lightning can travel from cloud to cloud, within the same cloud, or between the cloud and ground. In-cloud lightning discharges are more common than cloud-to-ground discharges and are not as hazardous.

While most lightning is initiated by downward leaders, either negative or less frequently positive, upward propagating discharges, both negative and positive, are possible, but rare. Upward discharges almost always occur from towers, tall buildings, or mountain tops.

Anvil Lightning: A positive lightning bolt which develops in the anvil, or top of the thunderstorm cloud, and travels generally straight down to strike the ground.

As the charge grows larger on both sides, an exchange of energy is inevitable. Eventually, a bolt of electrons is going to leap from the negative side to the positive side and even things out a bit. Most of the time, that lightning stays between the upper and lower parts of the cloud.

When lightning strikes the ground or an object on the ground, the discharge occurs in and along the ground surface (not deep into the ground). This creates a dangerous and potentially deadly ground current near the lightning strike.

Ground-to-Cloud (GC) Lightning

An upward-moving leader initiates a discharge between cloud and ground from an object on the ground. Ground-to-Cloud lightning strikes - sometimes called upward-moving lightning - are common on tall towers and skyscrapers. GC lightning can also be either positive or negative in polarity.

The state of Florida ranks highest for lightning density, with an average of 109.84 lightning strikes per square kilometer last year. The state of Texas ranks highest for the total number of lightning strikes, with 27,696,688 strikes last year.

Can lightning strike through a window? ›

Lightning can jump through windows, so keep your distance from them during storms! The second way lightning can enter a building is through pipes or wires. If the lightning strikes utility infrastructure, it can travel through those pipes or wires and enter your home that way.

When lightning strikes a tree or other object, much of the energy travels outward from the strike in and along the ground surface. This is known as the ground current. Anyone outside near a lightning strike is potentially a victim of ground current.

If you count the number of seconds between the flash of lightning and the sound of thunder, and then divide by 5, you'll get the distance in miles to the lightning: 5 seconds = 1 mile, 15 seconds = 3 miles, 0 seconds = very close.

The most important finding about upward lightning is that it primarily occurs when there is a nearby positive cloud-to-ground flash. The electric field change caused by the preceding flash causes an upward positive leader to initiate from a tall object such as a building, tower or wind turbine.

Introduction. Upward lightning is the development of a self-propagating lightning leader from a tall object that travels upward toward the overlaying electrified storm cloud. Upward lightning can initiate without any preceding lightning activity, herein classified as self-initiated upward lightning.

While upward lightning isn't extremely rare, it's a beautiful sight and tough to capture on camera.

Lightning basically tries to find the path of least resistance as it travels down to the ground. But this is not always a straight line because air is not a perfect mixture. There are fluctuations in temperature, humidity, pollutants, dust particles, etc. in the air, and so the resistance varies.

The characteristic zigzag pattern of lightning is caused by a highly conductive form of oxygen that builds up as the bolt travels toward the ground. Lightning can light up the sky in a bright flash and take on a variety of shapes, but if you were to draw it, you'd almost certainly scratch out a zigzag.

A flash of light in the sky caused by an electrical discharge from the Earth's surface to a cloud. Reverse lightning is so called because lightning typically occurs between clouds or travels from a cloud to the Earth's surface. Also called return stroke See note at lightning.

Some positive strikes can occur within the parent thunderstorm and strike the ground beneath the cloud. However, many positive strikes occur near the edge of the cloud or strike MORE THAN 10 MILES AWAY, where you may not perceive any risk nor hear any thunder.

Does positive lightning come from the ground? ›

Positive lightning is particularly dangerous. It originates at the top of a thunderstorm, where cloud tops are positively charged, and can strike as many as 25 miles away from its parent thunderstorm, where the ground is negatively charged.

It is possible to use thunder and lightning to measure how far away a storm is. Here's how: Lightning travels at the speed of light, about 186,000 miles per second. This means that you see lightning pretty much when it happens.

Positive lightning can strike ground up to 10 miles from a storm, even with blue sky overhead. Strikes from “negative lightning” are the more common, typically occurring within 5 miles of a storm. Learn to use thunder as a safety indicator.

The odds that one will be struck by lightning in the U.S. during one's lifetime are 1 in 15,300. On average, 270 people in the U.S. are struck per year, and only about 10 percent of that number die from the event. Around the world, approximately 2,000 people are struck by lightning every year.

A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorms are sometimes called thundershowers.

With an annual average of 89 thunderstorms, Fort Myers, Florida, is the thunderstorm capital of the U.S. And that's not some climatic anomaly, either.

If you are looking for the most electrified place on Earth, look no further than the Lake Maracaibo region located in northwest Venezuela. On average, 140 to 160 nights per year see massive thunderstorm complexes move through that produce around 28 lightning strikes per minute, for several hours at a time.

In the United States, Florida has the highest annual flash rate with an average of 59 flashes per year per square kilometer. Thunderstorms occur most often during the summer, which means that there are only thunderstorms for part of the year.

Like trees, houses, and people, anything outside is at risk of being struck by lightning when thunderstorms are in the area, including cars. The good news though is that the outer metal shell of hard-topped metal vehicles does provide protection to those inside a vehicle with the windows closed.

during a thunderstorm. Refrain from touching concrete surfaces: Lightning can travel through the metal wires or bars in concrete walls and flooring, such as in the basem*nt or garage.

Can lightning pass through roof? ›

Since a lightning bolt's objective is to reach the ground, it will pass through your home's structure, electrical wiring, or water pipes. A lightning bolt will typically hit the highest point of your home, which is your roof, and split up in several paths to reach the ground.

Air between the ground and a cloud usually separates their charges. The air acts like an insulator, which means electricity — such as lightning's giant spark — can't travel through it. But when enough charge accumulates in the cloud, it finds a way to get to the ground, and lightning strikes.

Just before lightning actually strikes, static energy is going to fill the air. If you look at your arms, you may see the hair on your arms standing on end. You may also feel a physical tingling sensation throughout your body, especially in your extremities.

To get to sleep you will need to drown out the crashing thunder. One method is to use earplugs. You can buy these at any pharmacy in a variety of kinds, including foam, cotton, or wax. If you don't find ear plugs comfortable enough to fall asleep, try listening to soothing music or even a white noise machine.

Lightning can travel 10 to 12 miles from a thunderstorm. This is often farther than the sound of thunder travels. That means that if you can hear thunder you are close enough to a storm to be in danger of being struck by lightning. When thunder roars go indoors.

Crouch down in a ball-like position with your head tucked and hands over your ears so that you are down low with minimal contact with the ground. Never shelter under an isolated tree. If you are in a forest, shelter near lower trees.

Males are four times more likely than females to be struck by lightning. The average age of a person struck by lightning is 37 years. About one-third of lightning injuries occur indoors.

Positive lightning makes up less than 5% of all strikes. However, despite a significantly lower rate of occurrence, positive lightning is particularly dangerous for several reasons. Since it originates in the upper levels of a storm, the amount of air it must burn through to reach the ground is usually much greater.

Upward lightning is a phenomenon whereby a self-initiated lightning streak develops from a tall object that travels upward toward an overlaying electrified storm cloud. For this to happen, storm electrification and the resulting presence of a cloud charge region are enabling factors.

Why does lightning go sideways across the sky? ›

The characteristic zigzag pattern of lightning is caused by a highly conductive form of oxygen that builds up as the bolt travels toward the ground. Lightning can light up the sky in a bright flash and take on a variety of shapes, but if you were to draw it, you'd almost certainly scratch out a zigzag.

There are three common types of lightning: cloud to ground, cloud to cloud and cloud to air.

Typically, a sharp crack or click will indicate that the lightning channel passed nearby. If the thunder sounds more like a rumble, the lightning was at least several miles away. The loud boom that you sometimes hear is created by the main lightning channel as it reaches the ground.

Remember, safety first! The golden rule of lightning safety is if you hear thunder, you should seek shelter inside of a substantial building or an enclosed, metal-topped vehicle. Thus, always plan to photograph lightning from inside a safe shelter or from inside a car.

Lightning is usually produced by cumulonimbus clouds, which have bases that are typically 1–2 km (0.62–1.24 mi) above the ground and tops up to 15 km (9.3 mi) in height.

In fact, lightning can heat the air it passes through to 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit (5 times hotter than the surface of the sun).

during a thunderstorm. Refrain from touching concrete surfaces: Lightning can travel through the metal wires or bars in concrete walls and flooring, such as in the basem*nt or garage.

Lightning can travel 10 to 12 miles from a thunderstorm. This is often farther than the sound of thunder travels. That means that if you can hear thunder you are close enough to a storm to be in danger of being struck by lightning. When thunder roars go indoors.