Abstract
Lightning can be defined as a transient, high-current (typically tens of kA) electric discharge in air whose length is measured in km. As for any discharge in air, lightning channel is composed of ionized gas, that is, of plasma, whose peak temperature is typically 30,000 K, about five times higher than the temperature of the surface of the Sun. The global lightning flash rate is some tens to a hundred km per second. Lightning initiates many forest fires, and over 30% of all electric power line failures are lightning related. Each commercial aircraft is struck by lightning on average once a year. A lightning strike to an unprotected object or system can be catastrophic. In the first part [1] of the article, an overview of thunderclouds and their charge structure was given, and different types of lightning were described. The existing hypotheses of lightning initiation in thunderclouds were reviewed. In the second part of the article, current and electromagnetic signatures of lightning are characterized and the techniques to measure lightning electric and magnetic fields are discussed
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