Yes, lightning can be frightening when it strikes during a storm, particularly when that crack of thunder comes right after, an indication that it was close by.
But the photos that sometimes emerge are pretty incredible.
We’ve seen some photos over the years of lightning near stadiums, or strikes on top of tall buildings like the skyscrapers in New York City or towers like the CN Tower in Toronto. Sometimes, amateur photographers snap a shot of them and it inevitably goes viral on Twitter.
We’ve collected some of those below. Check them out:
1
Lightning strikes over Fenway Park in Boston Saturday, Sept. 6, 2014 delaying the baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
2
CINCINNATI, OH – SEPTEMBER 5: Grounds crew pull the tarp on the field as lightning from an approaching storm strikes in the distance during the third inning of a game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Milwaukee Brewers at Great American Ball Park on September 5, 2015 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
3
TOPSHOT – Lightning strikes the liberation tower in Kuwait City during a thunder storm on April 5, 2019. (Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat / AFP)YASSER AL-ZAYYAT/AFP/Getty Images
4
TOPSHOT – Lightning strikes behind the chapel of Panagia Gorgona in the village of Skala Sykamias, north of Lesbos, on February 27, 2020. (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS / AFP) (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images)
5
A lightning strikes the city of Buenos Aires during a storm on May 23, 2023. (Photo by LUIS ROBAYO / AFP) (Photo by LUIS ROBAYO/AFP via Getty Images)
6
Lightning strikes over the Narendra Modi Stadium during the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 final cricket match between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings in Ahmedabad on May 29, 2023. Rain halted play in the Indian Premier League final in Ahmedabad for the second day running on May 29 with Chennai Super Kings chasing 215 for victory against defending champions Gujarat Titans. (Photo by Sam PANTHAKY / AFP) (Photo by SAM PANTHAKY/AFP via Getty Images)
Lightning strikes the sky above the Israeli coastal city of Netanya, on June 13, 2023. (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP) (Photo by JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images)
8
A lightning strikes over the Parc National des Calanques during a thunderstorm near Cassis, southern France, on June 14, 2023. (Photo by Nicolas TUCAT / AFP) (Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT/AFP via Getty Images)
9
Lightning strikes over Tokyo early on July 4, 2023. (Photo by Philip FONG / AFP) (Photo by PHILIP FONG/AFP via Getty Images)
10
TOPSHOT – Lightning strikes during a thunderstorm in Montevideo on February 20, 2022. (Photo by Mariana SUAREZ / AFP) (Photo by MARIANA SUAREZ/AFP via Getty Images)
11
A lightning bolt strikes the CN Tower during an electrical storm in Toronto, Thursday, July 14, 2016. Heavy winds and rain brought down trees and power lines overnight in Toronto. (Mark Blinch/The Canadian Press via AP)
12
Lightning strikes the Prudential Tower beyond Fenway Park during a rain delay before a baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays, Friday, June 2, 2023, in Boston. The game was postponed. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
CINCINNATI, OHIO – JULY 17: Lightning strikes behind the stadiums lights during a weather delay of the game between the San Francisco Giants and the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on July 17, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The game was suspended in the eighth inning tied 2-2. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
14
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 11: Lightning strikes delay the start of play before the round 21 A-League match between the Western Sydney Wanderers and Melbourne City FC at Pirtek Stadium on March 11, 2015 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
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