Lightning Is Hotter Than the Sun's Surface

Lightning represents one of the most extreme temperature events on Earth. When lightning strikes, it creates a channel of superheated plasma that reaches approximately 30,000°C (54,000°F) in just microseconds. This is about 5 times hotter than the surface of the Sun, which has a temperature of roughly 5,500°C (10,000°F). However, the Sun's core is much hotter at 15 million°C. The extreme heat of lightning instantly vaporizes any moisture in its path and causes the explosive expansion of air that we hear as thunder. Despite being much hotter than the Sun's surface, lightning contains relatively little energy overall because it lasts only milliseconds and affects a very small area. The heat is so intense that it can instantly turn sand into glass (creating fulgurites) and has enough energy to power a 100-watt light bulb for 3 months, though it's impossible to capture due to its brief duration.