Details: This poster shows a lone tree in a field. It is being struck by a huge bolt of lightning.
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.