storm gordon red sprites
(L) Storm Gordon, (R) A black and white photo of the red sprites that appeared above tropical storm Gordon
Tropical Storm Gordon has just made landfall in the southeastern USA after forming only days ago in the Caribbean. On Sept. 1st, Frankie Lucena of Puerto Rico trained his cameras on the brewing storm and caught sprites leaping up from the cloudtops:

"These sprites were captured over the tropical wave that later became Tropical Storm Gordon," says Lucena. "At the time, the wave was generating numerous lightning strikes per minute just west of Puerto Rico." In the video, red arrows show the location of his camera.

For years, Lucena has been watching sprites leap up from passing storms. Interestingly, he says, weaker storm systems often produce stronger sprites. "Based on my observations so far, I would say that intensifying tropical waves have the most sprites. Often these systems go on to become hurricanes."

However, once storms become hurricanes, sprite activity seems to subside. "I tried to capture sprites over Hurricanes like Maria, Irma and just recently in July over Hurricane Beryl with no luck," says Lucena. (Sprites above Hurricane Matthew in 2016 are a colorful exception.)

According to NASA, hurricanes produce less regular lightning, too. Horizontally swirling hurricanes typically lack the vertical winds required to charge up a storm and unleash powerful bolts. Perhaps sprites subside for the same reason. Lucena plans to get more data as hurricane season gains steam in the weeks ahead.