Lightning from after-sunset Cumulus.

Lightning from after-sunset Cumulus.
In the evening of 19th February, a Cumulus, which had previously hosted a beautiful iridescent cloud display, continued to grow and as twilight approached started to generate lightning which included occasional spectacular flashes which emerged from the cloud and headed towards low ground on one side. These are known as “Bolts from the Blue” (sometimes called ‘anvil lightning’ or ‘anvil-to-ground’ lightning). This is a name given to a cloud-to-ground lightning discharge that strikes far away from its parent thunderstorm. It typically originates in the highest regions of a cumulonimbus cloud, travelling a good distance horizontally away from the thunderstorm before making a vertical descent to earth. Due to the final strike point being up to 10 miles away from the storm, these lightning events can occur at locations with clear ‘blue’ skies overhead - hence the name “Bolt from the Blue”. This phenomenon is clearly illustrated by the accompanying spectacular montage of video frames captured between 6.41 and 7.06 pm.

Tripod-mounted Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ60 in sunset video mode.

Compilation of montage of nine selected video frames captured between 6.41 and 7.06 pm on 19th February.