lightning strikes the same lamppost 12 times within seconds in a spectacular storm over chinese cities
Stunning video recorded the moment a single lamppost in China was struck by lightning at least a dozen times in a row during a powerful electrical storm.
A resident filmed the storm over the city of Qingdao in the province of Shandong on August 31.
The witness trained their camera phone on the incoming storm when the lightning bolts began striking the lamp post.
A resident filmed the storm in the city of Qingdao in the province of Shandong on August 31
After 11 strikes, the witness retreats back into the building as the lightning bolts continue
The witness filmed the storm earlier this week, showing the lamppost getting struck a dozen times in less than 10 seconds
The multiple strikes took place in less than ten seconds, causing the witness to retreat back into the building.
Local resident Mr Qu said the video was filmed by his friend while he was at work before he later shared it on social media.
Viewers commented on the dramatic clip with one suggesting: 'That street light is so unlucky!'
Another added: 'The guy was scared? I am scared!'
A third suggested: 'Pole: "I am out of power, I'll go out if I don't charge up today."'
What is lightning?
Lightning is a giant spark of electricity in the atmosphere between clouds, the air, or the ground. In the early stages of development, air acts as an insulator between the positive and negative charges in the cloud and between the cloud and the ground.
When the opposite charges build up enough, this insulating capacity of the air breaks down and there is a rapid discharge of electricity that we know as lightning.
The flash of lightning temporarily equalizes the charged regions in the atmosphere until the opposite charges build up again.
Lightning can occur between opposite charges within the thunderstorm cloud (intra-cloud lightning) or between opposite charges in the cloud and on the ground (cloud-to-ground lightning).
Lightning is one of the oldest observed natural phenomena on earth. It can be seen in volcanic eruptions, extremely intense forest fires, surface nuclear detonations, heavy snowstorms, in large hurricanes, and obviously, thunderstorms. .
CREDIT: National Severe Storms Laboratory