The voltage of a lightning strike can reach up to 1 billion volts (1 GV). This immense electrical charge is generated during the process of lightning formation in storm clouds.
To explain further, lightning occurs when there is a buildup of electrical energy in the atmosphere, typically during a thunderstorm. As the storm develops, ice particles within the cloud collide, causing a separation of charges. The lower part of the cloud becomes negatively charged, while the upper part becomes positively charged. This charge separation creates an electric field strong enough to overcome the air’s insulating properties, leading to the discharge we see as a lightning strike.
In addition to voltage, lightning can carry a current of around 30,000 amperes, and the temperature of a strike can reach approximately 30,000 degrees Fahrenheit (16,500 degrees Celsius), which is hotter than the surface of the sun.