Lightning!

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

Never gave this much thought until this morning, a bolt out of the blue!

Ever wondered where that came from??

Yesterday, a bloke in Texas was killed by lightning, nowt unusual about it except there wasn't a cloud in the sky!!!! No it was clear blue sky! Several miles away it was different, a raging thunderstorm, the origin point of the lightning that hit a tree and hit him in the head killing him instantly!

Food for thought that!

[Beefsteak 305]

Now that is scarey

[colly0410 1,181]

Watched a doco about lightning & bolts from the blue are still a bit of a mystery to them. They suspect it could be if the top part of the thunder cloud, which is usually positive, overhangs the lower usually negative part of the cloud then it could fire a positive flash sideways for a long distance before it comes to earth. Another proposition is that somehow the clear air a few miles distant from the thunderstorm takes on a positive or negative charge & that causes the bold from the blue. They admit they don't know why there's bolts from the blue.... 

 

When I lived in Bestwood Village I was stood yabbering to a neighbour when the church spire was struck: (I lived on Hill Road at the time) it was a sunny blue sky , but there were thunder clouds in the distance. Nearly all the burglar alarms in houses & cars when off, & street lights & security lights came on. I nearly poo'd my pants when the flash/crack happened, lol....

[loppylugs 8,429]

Over here the weather forecasters have started referring to "positive strikes."  These are said to be much more damaging to property and people than a regular strike.  I have nerer heard them give any explanation of how they come about though.  Thanks for the info.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

My theory is the earth is one huge generator, well that part isn't theory, upper atmosphere is one "plate of a capacitor" the other "plate" is the earth itself, the earth charges this huge capacitor up to X million volts.

The clouds responsible for a storm are many miles high, loaded with water vapour which reduces the path for electricity to flow and "WHAM" the capacitor discharges through the easy water laden cloud to earth.

[loppylugs 8,429]

I had always been told that the clouds developed a huge negative charge.  The earth was positive thus when the charge was big enough it would arc to earth.  From that, one would think that a positive going charge in the cloud would be unattracted to earth?

[nonnaB 4,895]

We've been having thunder storms almost every day around the same time. The other day late afternoon thunder was in the distance and getting nearer. Ok I thought in a minute or two it will be overhead , time to close the windows before it pours down. Didn't get chance before the loudest bang frightened the life out of me, set the dogs cowering and I screamed out. That was it the storm just went on its merry way probably to frighten some other unsuspecting person. These storms are becoming short and violent. But it's August and here anything can happen and it usually does. The farmers are always worried about the vines especially when it's time for the vendemmia. We often hear the cannons being fired when there's a threat of a storm and they are trying to collect the grapes before they're damaged. Don't ask what's in the cannons 'cos I don't know , I think it's some sort of gas or maybe crystals.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

Lightning is of many different frequencies, not just DC, I think my theory fits better than all the old ones, if clouds have a charge, then how come every rain storm isn't also a lightning storm???

Cumulonimbus clouds reach to very high altitudes up to 52,000ft, and have a distinct anvil shape to their "heads".

No, I think the clouds form a direct conducting path from the upper charged atmosphere to ground.

When you see lightning from satellite or the space station cameras, they seem to emanate from a single spot high in the atmosphere then light the cloud up as the charge discharges, which backs my theory up.

Just a thought, you don't have to have a storm overhead to get struck either... A few years back a yard maintenance man was mowing a customers lawn in Florida, and was struck by lightning and killed. Odd thing was there were no clouds, it was a brilliant sunny Florida day.

According to the weather men, there was a big storm a few miles away and it's thought the strike was from that storm, they also said this is not an unusual case, rare but normal.

So, even when there is no local storm, but you know there's one nearby, keep clear of open spaces and trees.

[Brew 5,416]

27 minutes ago, Ayupmeducks said:

if clouds have a charge, then how come every rain storm isn't also a lightning storm???

 

The charge is generated when the clouds have ice crystals in them, not every rain storm cloud has. Lightning does not need a storm in every instance and can occur under different conditions

 

Lightning actually strikes twice, once downward which creates a path of lower resistance, You do not see this part. The lightning strike you do see is actually upwards. both strikes happen in just a few thousandths of a second. The flash and bang is well understood, the creation of the low resistance path to earth less so.

 

[loppylugs 8,429]

We seem to have similar situations here to what Nonna said.  Rumbles. possibly a close one then nothing.  Seems like years ago they'd be long in coming overhead and then gradually rumble away.  

One was approaching the other night as I went  to bed.  I lay in bed for a while listening to Jake getting agitated.  He's scared to death of storms.  Then,  nothing, not so much as a faint rumble.  seems a bit weird.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

Most of our weather, more so in spring summer and autumn comes from the south west, so it's not unusual to hear thunderstorms passing way to the west of us and not hit us.

During the winter months with the Jet stream to the south of us our weather can come from the west, north west, then it's single digit temps (F), or from the north east, snow and cold weather, then sometimes from the south west, and that's when the super cells form when cold winds blow eastwards from the Rockies!!

I've seen January days in the mid 70'sF when the weather is from the south west, warm moist winds off the Gulf of Mexico, I've also seen a few minus F days in January too!! That's when we get Canadian winds blowing from the north.

 

[colly0410 1,181]

When I was in central Florida last year we had a thunderstorm most afternoons, lightning struck a tree across the road from out hotel: that was a very loud crack. I was impressed how the local TV stations gave out warnings & what to do if anyone was struck, they warned tourists about lightning precautions, a motorcyclist got struck on the I95 not far from us while we were there. We got kicked out of the swimming pool every time lightning was about.... 

 

 

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

Some years back an oak tree near my chicken coop was hit, about 100 feet from the travel trailer that we were living in at the time, it sure wasn't a "crack" It was like a bomb going off...BOOM!!

Must have scared the chickens half to death, when I went up to feed them in the morning, there were huge splinters surrounding the tree and one huge branch on the floor.

That must have  been about 15 years ago now, the tree is just about on it's last legs now, or should that be roots?? I'd hazard a guess the tree is well over 200 years old by the size of it's trunk.

[colly0410 1,181]

A few branches were blown off the tree when it was struck, my wife Sue put a photo of it on facebook but can't find it now. The blown off branches were still there blocking the pavement on Lakehurst Road Orlando when we came home over a week later...

[loppylugs 8,429]

A big tree in our driveway was hit several years ago. Midafternoon,  Jake was on his usual perch on the window seat, I was in my chair having my afternoon tea.  It had been thundering a bit, but nothing major.  Suddenly there was an almighty flash and an instant bang.  It scared the living daylights out of both of us.  Jake has been scared of thunderstorms ever since.  After I had changed my underwear,     I looked out and saw that the tree trunk looked white.  It had blown all of the bark off it.  This was scattered all over the drive.  It took out the tv and our phone line.  The tree subsequently died and had to be cut down.

Since then I have taken lightning seriously.  Viewed that close is a real wake up call.

[katyjay 5,091]

We had the same thing happen LL. Was watching the lightning out of the patio doors at back of house one night,  and an almighty bang went off..Phew that was close says we. Next morning looked out the front and bark was everywhere, right up to the front door.  We had 2 trees in the middle of the driveway almost touching each other and the lightning had zigzagged down from tree to tree. They are still alive though.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

They will die eventually Kath, does a lot of damge to the tree. The last tree I cut up and split for firewood was lightning damaged, charred wood on the inside.

Tree outside my wife's business dropped a large branch last year, right on top of her car and S10 pickup truck, totaled both, I suspect that tree has lightning damage that caused the limb to die and rot off. The truck at the bottom must be 4 feet in Diam, and the whole tree needs  felling professionally due to it's on a public street, est cost $9000!!!!

[nonnaB 4,895]

expecting another storm tonight. The other day there was a terrific storm in Veneto region.  TV coverage showed a man wading through blocks of snow, leaves and all sorts of rubbish. The man had to keep jumping to move as the deluge was so thick.

[loppylugs 8,429]

Wierd weather everywhere.  Terrific storm through midwest last week.  They said it did 3 billion dollars in crop damage.

If you check out China on YT you find tremendous floods and crop losses.  Famine next.  Wildfires in California, earthquakes all over the place.

[katyjay 5,091]

Ayup, it was 2003 the trees were struck and they are still looking good  

[nonnaB 4,895]

Global warming. Whether you believe it or not something's happening. We live within 50 km of the alps and when we can see them they do look different. ( less snow on top)

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

Can take years Kath, but it will catch up with them. Oak tree that was hit, probably around 14 years back is still alive, but the bark is sloughing off of it now, so it's only a matter of time.

 

[nonnaB 4,895]

Piemonte has been hit by severe storms. We are in the province of Asti ( Asti approx 15 km away) they were hit badly with flooding and hailstorms but we missed it. To day just a couple of heavy showers and that's it now it's heading further south but is due to continue to Monday. Temperature gone down and it's lovely...we dont sweat now.

[philmayfield 6,130]

It’s been freezing here today. We worked outside to assemble a newly delivered garden bench and had to lunch on hot soup to revive us. The central heating is on full blast.

[letsavagoo 963]

I agree Phil. I’ve been in Norfolk for a few days and although the wind (weather not me) was the worst I have ever experienced at times it was reasonably warm. Back here today my wife who doesn’t normally put her coat on until it snows, put the heating on and told me to light the log burner. Really cold.