In the video, the bolt appears to start at the ground and then travel to the cloud
New Delhi:
A spectacular bolt of lightning lit up the night sky over Kansas during a thunderstorm on Tuesday. A video of the incident shows a rare updraft during the thunderstorm.
The upward lightning was captured in slow motion by Taylor Vonfeldt, who shared it on Twitter. He called the phenomenon the “craziest lightning strike” he’d ever captured on camera.
In the video, the bolt appears to start at the ground and then travel to the cloud, in stark contrast to traditional lightning strikes.
I just captured the most insane lightning strike I’ve ever caught on camera… 😳😱⚡️ @weatherchannel@KSNNews@KWCH12@KAKEnews@JimCantorepic.twitter.com/17TxaFiyXk
— Taylor Vonfeldt (@therealskicast) March 30, 2022
A meteorologist told the New York Post that the phenomenon occurs when a strong electric field passes over a tall object such as a skyscraper or radio tower. “As a result, upward leaders are initiated from the tower. They connect to the electric field in the cloud and you get lightning,” says meteorologist Chris Vagasky.
Tornado warnings have been issued in several Kansas counties. The National Weather Service said winds of 50-60km were recorded in the area. Thousands of people in Wichita, Kansas suffered power outages Tuesday night.
