|
| ©Unknown |
There was a magnificent display of lightning on Monday night over much of the southern half of Britain. As the flashes came thick and fast, the West Midlands was hit hard by lightning strikes causing power cuts and fires, while the torrential downpours caused flash floods.
|
| ©Unknown |
There were also intriguing reports of different coloured lightning, ranging through white, blue and green. In the past there have also been cases of yellow, pink, red and purple lightning. Even a single bolt of lightning has displayed different colours as it branched out. So what makes different colour lightning?
|
| ©Unknown |
One idea is the temperature of lightning. Hotter lightning is said to be blue or white, and cooler bolts are orange or red. But lightning temperatures do not vary much, even between weak and strong bolts. Perhaps gases in the atmosphere produce the colours. But the lightning we see is in the lower atmosphere where gases are well mixed together.
|
| ©Unknown |
According to folklore, blue lightning is a sign of hail, white lightning is in dry conditions, yellow lightning is caused by dusty air and red lightning is mostly seen with lots of rain. There could be something in this because water, dust and gas molecules scatter and absorb light, producing different colours. And if the lightning is far away, there is more chance its light will become interfered with and show colours.
|
| ©Unknown |
But then why does the rare and mysterious form of lightning called ball lightning also come in a host of different colours, even though it is usually seen very close by? It just goes to show how mysterious lightning still remains.
..DaDah...
[Link]
Lighting up!