Cloud-to-Ground Lightning over Noida Extension, India
April 07, 2021
Photographers: Vishal Sharma (top); Rosario Catania (bottom)
Summary Authors: Vishal Sharma; Rosario Catania
The photo above (at top) shows an attention-getting cloud-to-ground lightning strike as observed on April 4, 2020, from the balcony of my home (I live on the 14th floor) overlooking the city of Noida Extension, India. Luckily, I snapped this shot just as these bolts flashed from the sky. Note that the primary bolt, hitting the tower of a power plant, was powerful enough to light up much of its parent cumulonimbus cloud. Discharge from a strike like this one may approach 100 million volts. The bottom photo was captured during a storm in San Giovanni La Punta (Sicily), Italy.
Photo Details: Nikon D7100 camera; 50.0mm focal length; f/16; 11.5 seconds exposure; ISO 100; Adobe Photoshop 2020 Windows.