Whats the difference between a flash, stroke, strike, and bolt?
In lightning science vocabulary, lightning is broken down into several parts. The initial downward discharge is called a “leader”. The “return stroke” that completes the electrical current is the bright, visual channel that we see. Several return strokes can move up and down this channel many times, creating the “flickering” effect. This entire event may last half a second and is called a “flash”. Outside the lightning science community, most people commonly refer to the entire, half-second lightning event as a “strike” or “bolt”.
