heat lightning
Soundless summer storms
Heat lightning is lightning seen from a distance, too far away for its thunder to be heard.
The flashes illuminate clouds on the horizon, typically on warm summer nights.
The name reflects a folk belief that the phenomenon is caused by heat rather than actual thunderstorms: We sat on the porch watching heat lightning flicker over the mountains.
- summertimeWarmest part of year
- distant thunderRemote storm sound
- far offAt great distance
- horizonApparent earth-sky meeting
- boltThreaded rod for nuts
summer night · cumulonimbus · silent · glow · muggy air · discharge · soundless · twilight · porch sitting · humidity · warm front · tropical climate · sprites · August · July · ephemeral · flash · electrical discharge
- skyclouds, blue sky, cloud, sun, moon
- Thunderstormsthunder, thunderstorm, thunderclap, thunder roll, thunder rumble
- Lightningbolt, flash, thunderbolt, cloud-to-ground, intracloud
- severe weatherblizzard, hurricane, cyclone, hailstorm, ice storm
- sky phenomenathunderstorm, rainbow, sunset, sunrise, solar eclipse
- Electrical Dischargesarc, spark, corona, electric arc, electric spark
heat lightninglightning strike
Atmospheric electrical discharge
forked lightning · thunder and lightning · thunderbolt · sheet lightning
heat lightningthunderstorm
Violent weather with lightning
electrical storm · thunder · direct hit · violent storm · lightning bolt
heat, heated, lightning, heating, heater, reheat, heats, preheat, overheat