Lightening Lightening Lightning is the most spectacular element of a thunderstorm. For the Vikings, lightning was produced by Thor as his hammer struck an anvil while riding his chariot across the clouds.
Lightning is a discharge of electricity.
This extreme heating causes the air to expand at an explosive rate. The expansion creates a shock wave that turns into a booming sound wave, better known as thunder. Thus the name thunderstorm. Lightning can take place in several different areas of a thunderstorm. Sometimes lightning can jump from one cloud to another or to the surrounding air.