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Ask Ellen: What causes lightning?

Lightning is a staple of West Michigan weather, but many natives might not know how this common phenomenon is made.
While tropical cyclones become rare in November, we still remain vigilant for any oddity through the end of the month. After all, Hurricane Kate visited our Tallahassee-Big Bend area extra late ...
On September 22, 2025, in Bandung, Indonesia, @rlazuwardi shared a video of a striking weather phenomenon. In the video, residents see lightning-filled clouds with a broad, mushroom-shaped top and ...
Even on quiet nights out for dinner with my wife, weather geekdom can find its way to the surface. Friday was one of those evenings. The Italian restaurant was packed so I dropped my wife off to get ...
On September 6, 2025, in Fateh Jhang, Pakistan, @aryaankhan.reall shared a stunning video of an approaching storm. In the video, a massive cumulonimbus cloud with a mushroom-like shape is illuminated ...
Lightning is one of the first signs of a monsoon storm. It's incredibly hot. In fact, it's five times hotter than the surface of the sun, at an astounding 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightning is ...