article_snippet.sent: Lightning is caused by the build up of electrostatic charge in clouds.
article_snippet.sent: If this build up of charge reaches a certain level, the insulating capacity of the air breaks causing the negative charges to escape or 'leap' from the cloud either onto another another cloud - known as sheet lightning - or to the ground.
article_snippet.sent: As the streams connect it causes electrons to jump, or 'return the stroke', and an electrical current begins flowing, which creates lightning.
article_snippet.sent: Lightning can occur between opposite charges within the thunderstorm cloud, known as intra-cloud lightning, or between opposite charges in the cloud and on the ground, referred to as cloud-to-ground lightning.
article_snippet.sent: Natural lightning is cloud to ground.
article_snippet.sent: Lightning is caused by a build up of electrostatic charges.
article_snippet.sent: The negative charge 'leaps' from the cloud either onto another another cloud - known as sheet lightning - or to the ground (pictured)
article_snippet.sent: As the streams connect, it causes electrons to jump, or 'return the stroke', and an electrical current begins flowing, which creates lightning.
highlights_snippet.sent: Lightning is caused when positive and negative charges build up in a cloud to a level where one leaps to the other .
  
highlights_snippet.sent: As a result lightning has been seen striking the ground from a cloud and vice versa, and can move between clouds .