Lightning forks and rejoins itself over Table Mountain and Lion’s Head in Cape Town, South Africa.  Central Africa is the area of the world where lightning strikes most frequently.

Grand Canyon, Arizona

A dramatic cloudburst releases jagged bolts of lightning deep into the Grand Canyon near Point Sublime.

Lightning Over Las Cruces

Two large lightning bolts strike the ground near Las Cruces, New Mexico. Though human eyes perceive the opposite, lightning moves from the ground up to the cloud.

City Strike

Lightning strikes Kavala, Greece. The ancient Greek god Zeus was said to control lightning, but today we know lightning comes from a difference in electrical charge between clouds and the ground or among clouds.

Oriental Pearl Lightning Strike

A bolt of lightning strikes the Oriental Pearl TV Tower in Shanghai, China.

Cochise County, Arizona

A thunderstorm passes behind the Cochise County courthouse in Arizona. Despite being in a dry part of the country, southeastern Arizona averages 30 to 40 thunderstorms a year.

Bolts on the Water

Several bolts of lightning strike the water off the coast of Kavala, Greece. Lightning can strike anything that can become electrically charged—including water.

Lightning Over Malaysia

Lightning illuminates the horizon behind a Malaysian cityscape.

Johannesburg, South Africa

Tall towers are frequent targets of lightning strikes, because there is less air to act as an insulator between the tower and a cloud.  In this case, it is the Hillbrow Telkom Tower in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Tucson, Arizona

The Tucson, Arizona, skyline is illuminated by a bolt of lightning.

Hopewell, Virginia

The inhabitants of a powerboat turn on their lights just as a bolt of lightning hits the ground behind it.  Covered, walled structures are the best places to take refuge from a thunderstorm.

Desert Lightning

Saguaro cacti stand in the desert as a thunderstorm rolls overhead. Lightning in dry areas increases the risk of brush fires.

Positive Lightning

Lightning arcs from the top of a cloud to the horizon off the coast of the Bahamas. Lightning that comes from the top of the cloud can be positive lightning, which is rare but can be significantly more powerful than more common negative lightning. It can also strike farther from the cloud, up to 10 miles (16 kilometers) away.

Lightning Strikes Twice

Foshan, China, is hit by two simultaneous lightning strikes.