Details: This poster shows a lightning storm at night. Several bolts of lightning are striking the ground, and the clouds and sky are a dark purple.
Lightning is an atmospheric discharge of electricity, which usually occurs during rain storms, and frequently during volcanic eruptions or dust storms. Thunderstorms are the primary source of lightning. A bolt of lightning can reach temperatures approaching 28,000 degrees C (50,000 degrees F) in a split second. On average, lightning strikes the earth about 100 times every second.