Heat Lightning

[bubba]

Heat Lightning is an interesting phenomena that in my experience is confined to the West Coast of the State of Florida in my domain,although tonight I saw a flash here on the East Coast. My understanding is that it is reflective bright shadow of distant lightning in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico.However,on rare occaisions we experience it on the East Coast of Florida.

Is this phenomena experienced elsewhere in the World and does anyone know it's cause?

[osideterry]

I use to live near Tyler, Texas (70 miles East of Dallas). On some Summer nights the sky would light up like a pinball machine. All cloud to cloud action, with no thunder and no rain. I assumed that was heat lightning. No way I was looking at something generated in the gulf of Mexico.

[_Keith]

I haven't noticed it as much in recent years, but it is very prevalent in South Louisiana. I used to love to sit out at night and watch nature's fireworks display. It is an awesome sight.

[PkiJake]

When I lived in Kentucky we had heat lighting during the Summer months. I have seen it in the Jacksonville area since I moved here in June.

-Jake

[popper1]

The term is used for lightning that is seen from too far away to feel the rain or hear the thunder. I have heard it used in Chicago, Hawaii, Arkansas, & Florida.

[Tyrone]

I've never heard of this term before, but I've witnessed the phenomena a lot in NW Oz. Storms miles away lighting up the horizon, generated by great daytime heat and convective buildup. If you're listening to the radio on AM, it's constant crackles and pops and bangs.

Best regards

Tyrone

[_Keith]

I grabbed this shot off of the net. This is the cloud to cloud lightening I remember.

Source here.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...cloud_(aka).jpg

[millic]

Osideterry, I grew up in Henderson, which is not far from Tyler and always remember seeing "heat lightning" in the summer. It was always located in the same section of the sky to the North, which was definitely not in the Gulf.

I still see it now in Dallas, but don't pay as much attention as I used too......too busy watering my Palms in the 104 degree heat.

[Steve]

Growing up in Michigan, the term Heat Lightning was always used for distant lightning in the summer, without any thunder. Seems pretty consistent with what most everyone else is describing. I haven't really paid attention to what people call it here in Atlanta.

[osideterry]

Millic - Now that I think of it, the light shows I watched were always North as well. Due North of the area we are talking about is serious Tornado Alley. Wichita Falls, TX and into Oklahoma. I wonder if we were seeing the tops of those kind of supercell events?