You know how your mum always told you not to take shelter under a tree during a thunderstorm? Here’s why. You may want to put your headphones on for this one due to some NSFW language.
There’s nothing as spectacular as watching a thunderstorm roll in on the dry Australian landscape, which could explain why I’ve just spooked myself by watching William Phuoc’s video of a bolt striking just 200m from where they were photographing.
Given the good timing of this shot, the photographer called it a ‘once in a lifetime’ image. The picture was taken with several filters added and six second exposure time.
It’s been coined “hygroelectricity”, which means “humidity electricity”, and scientists are already in the early stages of developing devices to harness it. What is “it” exactly? “It” is electrically charged water droplets hanging in the atmosphere.
