Jack Dykinga / Lightning storm with rainbow over Saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) near Redrock, Arizona State Trust, Sonoran Desert, Arizona. September 2015. Long exposure with lightning trigger.

Jack Dykinga / Saguaro cacti (Carnegia gigantea) at sunset, during a summer rain storm. Saguaro National Park, Sonoran Desert, Arizona, USA, August. Digital composite.

Yashpal Rathore / Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) walking at night, with monsoon clouds and lightning. Kanha National Park, Central India. Dominant male (T29)

Paul Williams / Lightning storm, Western Australia. December 2013. Image stacking / composite composed of three consecutive images.

Five Films / Timelapse of a lightning storm at night, Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda, April 2014.

Five Films / Timelapse of a lightning storm at night, Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda, April 2014.

Tim Fitzharris / Lightning strike near rock formation, Church Rock, Red Rock State Park, New Mexico

Bence Mate / Grey heron (Ardea cinerea) with lightning storm at night. Lake Csaj, Kiskunsagi National Park, Pusztaszer, Hungary. May 2012.

Bence Mate / Lightning storm over Lake Csaj, Kiskunsagi National Park, Pusztaszer, Hungary. May 2012.

Bence Mate / Sky lit by cloud-cloud lightning, with electricity pylon, Hungary, July 2006

Bence Mate / Forked lightning across horizon at night, with mixed flock of birds, Lake Csaj, Kiskunsagi National Park, Hungary, July 2006

Bence Mate / Forked lightning across horizon, with mixed flock of birds, Lake Csaj, Kiskunsagi National Park, Hungary, July 2006

Bence Mate / Lightning across lake, with mixed flock of birds, Lake Csaj, Kiskunsagi National Park, Hungary, July 2006

Juergen Freund / Lightning storm over the Australian outback at dusk. Queensland, Australia, February 2008

Orsolya Haarberg / Lightning effects in the ash plume from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano eruption, Iceland, May 2010

Vincent Grafhorst / Thunder storm with lightning bolts at sunset over Kalahari, Khutse Game Reserve, Botswana

Philippe Clement / Lightning during thunderstorm above petrochemical industry seen through magnifying glass held against illuminated globe of the earth Digital composite

Philippe Clement / Lightning during thunderstorm above petrochemical industry inside incandescent lamp / bulb against black background. Digital composite

Wild Wonders of Europe / Radisics / Stormy weather over Lake Tisza with group of fishermen on the shore, Hortobagy National Park, Hungary, July 2009

Wild Wonders of Europe / Radisics / Thunderstorm, Lake Tisza, Hortobagy National Park, Hungary, July 2009

Wild Wonders of Europe / Radisics / Storm over Lake Skadar at Vranjina, Lake Skadar National Park, Montenegro, May 2008

Patricio Robles Gil / Lightning storm at night over the Sierra del Carmen range, Mexico

David Curl / Lightning over Ayers Rock, Uluru NP, Northern Territory, Australia, desert

Paul Williams / Cameraman Murray Fredericks films a wildfire triggered by lightning for Storm Chasing programme in Northern Australia for BBC Wonders of The Monsoon. Western Australia. December 2013.

Paul Williams / Bush fire triggered by lightning storm, Western Australia. December 2013.

Paul Williams / Bush fire triggered by lightning storm, Western Australia. December 2013.

Paul Williams / Bush fire triggered by lightning storm, Western Australia. December 2013.

Paul Williams / Bush fire triggered by lightning storm, Western Australia. December 2013.

Paul Williams / Bush fire triggered by lightning storm, Western Australia. December 2013.

Paul Williams / Wingless cockroaches climb a tree stump to survive a wildfire, one is laying its eggs (ootheca) Western Australia, Australia.

Paul Williams / Bush fire triggered by lightning storm, Western Australia. December 2013.

Paul Williams / Bush fire triggered by lightning storm, Western Australia. December 2013.

Juergen Freund / Timelapse of storm clouds over the ruins of Chillagoe refinery and smelters, Chillagoe-Mungana Caves National Park, Queensland, Australia. 2017.

Juergen Freund / Timelapse of rain clouds passing fields, Atherton Tablelands, North Queensland, Australia. 2016

Lucas Bustamante / Storm with lighting over the Amazon Rainforest, Cuyabeno, Sucumbios, Ecuador, October 2014.

Richard Du Toit / Lightning over savanna, Mountain Zebra National Park, South Africa

Five Films / Timelapse of a lightning storm at night, Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda, April 2014.

Daniel J. Cox / Lightning storm in summer, Mission Valley, Montana

Inaki Relanzon / Lightning storm in the Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, USA, July 2012.

Ingo Arndt / Lightning strikes over steppe, eastern Mongolia

Ingo Arndt / Lightning strikes over steppe, eastern Mongolia

Ingo Arndt / Lightning strike over steppe, eastern Mongolia

Ingo Arndt / Lightning strikes over steppe, eastern Mongolia

Benjamin Olson / Lightning strike over prairie, Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Jen Guyton / Lightning strikes during a thunderstorm over a desert endemic Welwitschia plant (Welwitschia mirabilis) near Swakopmund, Namib Desert, Namibia.

Tim Fitzharris / Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea) cacti with lightning over peak in desert, Picacho Peak State Park, Arizona

Wim van den Heever / Lightning storm over city at night, Pretoria, South Africa December 2013

Wim van den Heever / Thunder storm with lightning over the Okavango Delta swamp, Botswana

Tim Fitzharris / Lightning hitting mountain, Angel Peak, Angel Peak Scenic Area, New Mexico

Juergen Freund / Lightning at night, Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia. January 2013

David Tipling / Lightning at midnight over Arnold's Marsh, Cley, Norfolk, UK, July 2014.

Bence Mate / Lightning over river scene with Grey herons (Ardea cinerea) Hungary

Vincent Grafhorst / Summer lightning storm, Nxai Pan National Park, Botswana

Hougaard Malan / Thunderstorm at sunset over the plains of the Karoo. Western Cape, South Africa. January 2012. Non-ex.

Will Burrard-Lucas / Lightning during a storm, South Luangwa National Park, Zambia. February 2013.

Richard Du Toit / Thunder storm with lightning strike, South Africa

Richard Du Toit / Lightning over Northern Cape, Kgalagadi, South Africa, December 2012

Bence Mate / Cloud-cloud lightning across horizon at night, Lake Csaj, Kiskunsagi National Park, Hungary, July 2006

Richard Du Toit / Thunder storm and lightning, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa

Jim Brandenburg / Storm over Touch the Sky Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge, Minnesota

Erlend Haarberg / Lightning in the ash plume from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, Iceland, April 2010

Erlend Haarberg / Lightning in the ash plume from the Eyjafjallajokull Volcano, Iceland, April 2010

Richard Du Toit / Lightning during summer storm, Kalahari, Northern Cape, South Africa

Vincent Grafhorst / Thunder storm with lightning bolts over Kalahari, Khutse Game Reserve, Botswana

Vincent Grafhorst / Thunder storm with lightning bolts over Kalahari, Khutse Game Reserve, Botswana

Wild Wonders of Europe / Maitland / Thunderstorm over the Galicica mountain range, Galicica National Park, Macedonia, June 2009

Wild Wonders of Europe / Maitland / Thunder storm over the Galicica mountain range, Galicica National Park, Macedonia, June 2009

Wild Wonders of Europe / Geslin / Boats moored on a lake, lightning in the distance, Lake Belau, Moldova, June 2009

Philippe Clement / Lightning during thunderstorm above petrochemical industry, Antwerp harbour, Belgium. July 2008.

Theo Allofs / Lightning over Jim Jim Billabong during the rainy season, Kakadu National Park, Australia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Charred trunks of spruce trees after recent forest fire caused by lightning during prolonged drought, Glacier National Park, Montana

Richard Du Toit / Thundestorm, Nossob River, summer, Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, South Africa

Mark Jones / Mt Ruapehu time exposure shows lava bomb traces and lightning in swirling ash plume from 1996 eruption, Tongariro National Park, New Zealand

Tim Fitzharris / Thunderstorm with lightning strike over Curecanti National Recreational Area, Colorado

Warwick Sloss / Lightning storm at dusk over wetland landscape with Baobab trees (Adansonia grandidieri) Morondava, Western Madagascar, on location for BBC Planet Earth 'Forests'

John Waters / Lightning and thunderstorm over Somerset Levels, UK

John Cancalosi / Lightning at night, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Jane Burton / Domestic dog, Ghostly alsation barking (digitally enhanced). UK

David Shale / Lightning over Swanage Bay, Dorset, UK

Tom Vezo / Monsoon rains and lightning, Green Valley, Arizona

Tom Vezo / Lightning and rainbow, Santa Rita Mountains, Arizona

Tom Vezo / Monsoon rains and lightning over the Santa Rita Mountains, Arizona

Tom Vezo / Monsoon rains and lightning over the Santa Rita Mountains, Arizona

Tom Vezo / Monsoon rains and lightning over the Santa Rita Mountains, Arizona

Tom Vezo / Monsoon rains and lightning over the Santa Rita Mountains, Arizona

Tom Vezo / Lightning strike over desert, Santa Rita Mountains, Arizona

Jim Brandenburg / Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) grass in prairie with lightning strikes, Oklahoma

Benjamin Olson / Lightning strikes over badlands, Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Benjamin Olson / Lightning strikes over prairie, Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Hiroya Minakuchi / Lightning during thunderstorm, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Cyril Ruoso / Lightning in tropical storm over rainforest, Brazil

Tom Vezo / Lightning strike, Santa Rita Mountains, Arizona

Silvia Reiche / Lightning over Matrei, Hohe Tauern National Park, Austria