As it does so, it draws an upward spark from the ground to meet it, triggering a lightning flash with huge electric currents that transport some of the storm's charge to the ground. So the lightning bolt continues growing, stretching downward toward the ground. Sometimes, the lower region of a cloud, which usually contains positive charge, does not have enough charge on its own to stop the channel. "Think of it as a giant spark that has grown through the cloud," MacGorman said. The growing channel eventually connects the positive and negative charges, and when it does, it triggers the immense electric current we know as a lightning flash. This eventually creates a very hot channel in the air that acts like a wire, whose ends grow outward toward the positive and negative charges that caused the breakdown. "Scientists call this process an electron avalanche, and it's what we mean when we say the air breaks down," MacGorman told Live Science. This process continues, accelerating more and more electrons. Researchers think this occurs because the buildup of the excessive electrical force starts to accelerate "free" electrons - those not attached to an atom or a molecule - in the air, in turn knocking other electrons loose from their atoms and molecules, MacGorman said. That means that, as the electric force grows, it breaks down the air's insulating power, which usually keeps areas of different charge separated from each other. "They become strong enough that the air can't withstand the electrical force anymore and breaks down." This app may collect or share “Precise Location Data” (see for more information)."A lightning flash is initiated in a region where the electrical forces are extremely strong," said Don MacGorman, a physicist and senior researcher at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Severe Storms Laboratory in Oklahoma. Download the app used and loved by millions around the world - WeatherBug! We love feedback, so tell us what you think! Send us your thoughts, questions or suggestions to for any weather condition. Temperature Units: Celsius or Fahrenheit.Multi-language Support: English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese.Traffic & Satellite Maps: View current traffic conditions and satellite views on all our map layers.Enhanced Interactive Maps: Visualise weather conditions with over a dozen weather map layers.Updated Forecasts: Get highly accurate hourly forecasts and 10-day weather forecasts for all your favourite locations.International Locations: Get weather conditions, forecasts, and alerts for over 90 countries and 2.6 million cities.Largest Weather Network: Gain access to our patented Total Lightning Network® technology and over 10,000 professional weather stations.Fastest Weather Alerts: Get in-app alerts of severe weather 50% faster with our Dangerous Thunderstorm Alerts.Weather Radar: available across the US, Canada, Mexico, and Europe.Winter Weather: Plan ahead with our 10-day snow depth forecast and stay safe in severe winter conditions with our real-time snow storm alerts. including over 2.6 million international locations around the world!
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