What is the voltage and current at the time of thunderstorm?

Hi… Your question is so simple but the answer is really hard to reply with appropriate information. Many factors affect thunderstorm lightning's Frequency, distribution, length, strenth and physical properties. read more

A tall thunderstorm cloud can hold over a 100 million volts of potential. The voltage potential in a lightning bolt is proportional to its length, and varies depending on the diameter of the bolt, air density and impurities of the air (humidity, dust, ash). read more

The current is the amount of charge that flows through a cross-sectional area in one second. Voltage is the work done per charge. The voltage of lightning varies with certain altitudes and thickness of the bolt. read more

Most commonly, the lightning current ceases in about a millisecond for a given stroke, but sometimes there is a continuing current on the order of 100 amps following one or more of the strokes. This is called "hot lightning" and it is the cause of lightning fires according to Uman. read more

View weather map showing the latest forecast for thunderstorms in the US. read more

When describing voltage, current, and resistance, a common analogy is a water tank. In this analogy, charge is represented by the water amount, voltage is represented by the water pressure, and current is represented by the water flow. read more