Just got Punched by Lighting!!

[herbz]

Man I wish we got extreme weather in england... all we get is weather that makes my mood crap. But if it was extreme id be tense.. and oo the excitment!

Id love a real big storm to happen, but not hurt anyone or any of my property... am I awake?

[earth girl]

Once, while backpacking in the Sierras, a freak storm rolled in(we didn't have the Weather Channel back then)just as we were emerging from the treeline at about 10,000ft. Above us was a bare wilderness of granite outcroppings and glacier slicks.
We settled back against the trees and watched the most glorious fireworks display, only a 1000 feet above. Did you know that when lightning strikes different kinds of rocks, it puts off different colored sparks? At least that is how it looked! Of course, soon we were seeing all kinds of crazy lights and colors from the mega-flashes retained on our retinas. My ears felt numb from being at ground ZER0, and all my hair was standing up and waving about. Torrential rain made us decide this as a sign we should go home.
Later, I read an article about some hikers who were right in the midst of it. They took 'shelter' among some rocks, but got 3rd degree burns on their backs from splashes of molten rock(the sparks I saw?).
eg

[RidingHigh]

oh wow thats insane! wish i could have been there. minus the burns=P