How, and why, are lightning strikes happening? Explain in simple terms.
Lightning strikes happen because of the buildup of electrical charges in the atmosphere. Thunderstorms form when warm, moist air rises and cools, forming clouds. As the cloud grows taller, its bottom becomes negatively charged while its top becomes positively charged. This creates a separation of electrical charges within the cloud, and between the cloud and the ground.

As the separation of charges becomes more pronounced, a spark can occur between the negatively charged bottom of the cloud and the positively charged ground. This spark is a lightning strike. The lightning strike carries an electric current from the cloud to the ground and releases a large amount of energy in the form of light and heat.

Why does this separation of charges happen? It is due to the movement of charged particles within the cloud. The particles collide with each other, causing some to become positively charged and others to become negatively charged. This separation of charges within the cloud leads to the buildup of electrical potential that can eventually result in a lightning strike.

In simple terms, lightning strikes are the result of a buildup of electrical charges in the atmosphere that is released as a spark of light and heat in the form of a lightning strike.