Yes, we had it all too.... our road flooded out completely. Luckily we have a few storm drains built into the roadsides as it's an area that's prone to doing this kind of thing. Thunder kept the kids from going to bed too, but at least Shmoogle Jr 1 seemed to enjoy the lightning, he's normally scared of storms...

As for lightning.... I thought it was a discharge of static electricity built up in the storm clouds and finding a route to the nearest earth?

Here we go: http://www.howstuffworks.com/lightning.htm 

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We had it as well about 7:30 ish i think  RRS TDV6 Gone but still around
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I love boobies i love boobies i love boobies cuz i'm a big kid now! (Come on everybody sing with me you know the words!)

Yeah, just after us... we had it before 7. Pi**ed it down...  

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Yeah must have been didn't look out as i was bust watching TV and eating!!  RRS TDV6 Gone but still around
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I love boobies i love boobies i love boobies cuz i'm a big kid now! (Come on everybody sing with me you know the words!)

Eating and watching TV at the same time? Congratulations mate - you must be well pleased!  

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W****r  RRS TDV6 Gone but still around
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I love boobies i love boobies i love boobies cuz i'm a big kid now! (Come on everybody sing with me you know the words!)

 

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I think that the bit about lightning striking from the ground up comes from some high speed photographs of lightning strikes. Lightning is formed by huge negative charges building in the clouds and discharging to the generally positively charged ground. Just before the main strike the charge build up along the path is tremendous which can result in a positive bolt of lightning rising from the ground to meet the negative discharge coming down - hence an upward strike. Equally a lightning strike isn't necessarily a single pulse - once the ionised path is formed multiple rapid strikes can happen - and apparently the initial downward stroke is followed by an upward stroke on the same path which produces a lot of light so also appearing to strike upwards.

Also see from BBC weather

Quote:

The lightning travels very rapidly, in steps of about 100 metres, towards the Earth but is quite faint. When this leader stroke gets close to the ground a strong electrical field is created and the lightning strike releases an enormous amount of energy, and thus very high temperatures. In fact, a bolt of lightning is hotter than the surface of the sun, and it is this heat that we see as the lightning flash.

After the leader stroke reaches the ground there is a return stroke back up to the cloud which is much brighter than the initial leader, and it is this that we see and call lightning.

There are some fantastic photos on that website mlines - very interesting site. 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
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Shows how complicated lightning actually is when you start to read about it... interesting stuff!  

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So i wasnt totally wrong about lightening coming up from the ground  some of my Previous cars
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P38 Range Rover Autobiography
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FFRR Vogue black
Disco3 HSE silver
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ENVOY wrote:

So i wasnt totally wrong about lightening coming up from the ground

Lucky guess

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Tim in Scotland wrote:

................. BTW Kaine the clouds in you last pickie are called mamma (from mamaries!) and are quite unusual in the UK.

Found this fantastic picture taken at sea during a thunderstorm, in a meteorology book that I have. Would not have liked to have been anywhere near that strike!

Click image to enlarge