Hail Hail is a byproduct of raindrops that take a ride. Lightning may be one of nature's most beautiful displays, but it's also a deadly surge of electrical current. Lightning is responsible for human and livestock deaths, airplane damage, and fires. Animation explains the positives and negatives of this deadly force. To view this as a QuickTime movie, with sound, click here.
Bolts of lightning are really electricity.
It happens when clouds are charged with negative electrons, and the ground is charged with positive electrons. The negative charges are attracted down, and as they hit the ground, positive charges move up toward the sky causing a flash of light. The upward movement happens so fast, it cannot be perceived. The process can repeat several times along the same path causing the flicker effect. This package is best viewed with a QuickTime plug-in.