Thunder clouds (rain clouds) carry electric charges and these charges separate out within the cloud. ... As a result, an electric discharge takes place between two oppositely charged clouds or between a charged cloud and the surface of the earth. This causes the flash of lightning that we see in the sky.

What happens when lightning strikes a place?

Typically, when lightning strikes something on the ground, the object that is struck sends a faint channel upward that joins the downward developing flash and creates the connection to the ground. Taller objects are more likely than shorter objects to produce the upward channel.

What exactly is lightning?

Lightning is a giant spark of electricity in the atmosphere between clouds, the air, or the ground. ... 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).