Incredible timelapse shows what lightning storms look like from SPACE

Timelapse footage of hundreds of lightning strikes was captured while the International Space Station flew over North Africa and then over Turkey and towards Russia.

As storms raged across Europe and Africa last night, Tim Peake captured them in all their mesmerising beauty from on-board the International Space Station. The footage was filmed as the ISS travelled over North Africa, Turkey and towards Russia (pictured)

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Space station timelapse captures dramatic lightning storms on ...
Timelapse footage of hundreds of lightning strikes was captured while the International Space Station flew over North Africa and then over Turkey and towards Russia.
Posted by Press TV on Wednesday, February 10, 2016

The ideal conditions for lightning and thunderstorms occur where warm, moist air rises and mixes with cold air above. 

These conditions occur almost daily in many parts of the Earth and rarely in other areas, making certain regions more prone to strikes. 

For example, parts of Africa including the Democratic Republic of the Congo have the highest frequency of lightning on Earth. 

This is caused by air from the Atlantic Ocean hitting mountains as it blows across the region.   

Nasa tracks lightning strikes using satellites fitted with sensors and information from these satellites is sent to staff on Earth. 

During the 33-second clip, a spattering of flashes is seen on the horizon. 

As the ISS soars towards Eastern Europe, the flashes become more intense and centralised and the cloud cover thickens. 

More lightning occurs over land than water because the sun heats the land surface faster than the ocean.