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What is Lightning?

Thunder and lightning is one of the most fearsome natural events known to man. Indeed in ancient times, it is often associated with a god or diety. Lightning is an atmospheric discharge of electricity accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms. A leader of a bolt of lightning can travel at speeds of 60,000 m/s (220,000 km/h), and can reach temperatures approaching 30,000 癈 (54,000 癋), hot enough to fuse silica sand into glass channels known as fulgurites which are normally hollow and can extend some distance into the ground. There are some 16 million lightning storms in the world every year.

USA insurance company information shows one homeowner's damage claim for every 57 lightning strikes. Annually in the USA lightning causes more than 26,000 fires with damage to property (NLSI estimates) in excess of $5-6 billion.

Lightning can strike everywhere. It follows the path of least resistance at a particular time, but that's always changing. When lightning begins to travel downward from a cloud, many objects that have built up a charge emit streamers. This could come from anything such as a blade of grass or a power pole. The first streamer to make contact with the bolt defines the final path the lightning will take.