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Not every lightning strike begins in a cloud and travels downward. Tall structures such as skyscrapers, communication towers, and wind turbines can initiate upward lightning under certain electrical conditions. A discharge can develop from the structure and extend upward toward the cloud.
This phenomenon is more likely from very tall objects and elevated terrain. Scientists study it because our increasingly tall infrastructure changes how lightning interacts with the environment. Sometimes, lightning doesn't come down from the sky—it climbs toward it.
© NOAA