When I was a child I recall seeing ball lightning hit a telephone pole, can you describe this type of lightning? James, North Greece
According to the American Meteorological Society this phenomenon is very rare. It has been described as a bright ball of light floating close to the ground in or near a thunderstorm. Although observations vary greatly, the most common description is a ball of light about a foot in diameter, reddish or orange in color and lasting a few seconds before disappearing. Sometimes it is accompanied with a hissing sound which then ends with a loud noise. The exact cause of naturally occurring ball lightning is still unknown. However, scientists at the University of Tel Aviv in Israel have managed to create ball lightning in a controlled laboratory environment.
