Recent observations of lightning discharges from the top of a thundercloud into the clear air above

Abstract

A note of inquiry published in a magazine read by airplane pilots has elicited 15 new observations of a rare form of lightning that comes out of the cloud top, goes up vertically, and terminates in the clear air above. These confirm previous observations showing that this phenomenon usually occurs above very large and energetic thunderclouds. However, small clouds with tops at 15,000 ft mean sea level (5000 m) have been observed to exhibit this rare form of lightning also. One of the more spectacular observations was made over the severe storm system that produced the devastating tornadoes of April 11, 1965.