That flash of light in the sky followed by thunder can be both mesmerising and scary. Rediff.com presents some amazing pictures of lightning captured by ace lensmen.
Lightning bolts strike around the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcanic chain near southern Osorno city. Photograph: Ivan Alvarado/Reuters
Lightning strikes over buildings during heavy rainfall in Kunshan, Jiangsu province. Photograph: Reuters
Lightning strikes during a summer storm in Monterrey. Photograph: Daniel Becerril/Reuters
Lightning streaks across the sky as lava flows from a volcano in Eyjafjallajokul Photograph: Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Lighting strikes over Saint Joseph cathedral during a storm in Hanoi Photograph: Carlos Barria /Reuters
Lightning strikes behind the Mandalay Bay (L) and the Luxor hotel casinos as a thunderstorm passes through Las Vegas, Nevada. Photograph: Steve Marcus/Reuters
Lightning illuminates the sky offshore Beirut. Photograph: Jamal Saidi/Reuters
Lightnings strike over buildings during a thunderstorm in Berlin. Photograph: Pawel Kopczynski/Reuters
Lightning strikes the CN Tower during a thunderstorm in Toronto. Photograph: Mark Blinch/Reuters
Lightning illuminates the sky during a thunderstorm over the Swiss Federal Palace in Bern. Photograph: Michael Buholzer/Reuters
Lightning flashes around the ash plume above the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano chain near Entrelagos. Photograph: Carlos Gutierrez/Reuters
Lightning is seen during a storm under the Memorial Center in Potocari the night before a mass burial, near Srebrenica. Photograph: Dado Ruvic/Reuters
Lightning strikes over buildings during a thunderstorm in Belgrade. Photograph: Marko Djurica/Reuters