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Inside storm clouds, tiny particles like ice and water collide and create electric charges. Lighter positive charges move to the top of the cloud, while heavier negative charges gather at the bottom. At the same time, the ground below builds up positive charge. As the difference between these charg…

Inside storm clouds, tiny particles like ice and water collide and create electric charges. Lighter positive charges move to the top of the cloud, while heavier negative charges gather at the bottom. At the same time, the ground below builds up positive charge. As the difference between these charges increases, the energy becomes stronger and stronger. The air between them normally acts as an insulator, but eventually it can no longer hold the energy.