It is estimated that 2,000 storms coexist simultaneously on the planet and about 100 lightning bolts discharge on the earth every second. In total, this represents some 4,000 daily storms and 9 million atmospheric discharges every day. Therefore, 1.2 billion lightning strikes occur per year on our planet.
The average temperature of a lightning bolt is 27,700 degrees. This means that it is 5 times hotter than the surface temperature of the sun (5,505 degrees).
Lightning bolts can reach more than 144 kilometres in length and have a diameter of almost 18 centimetres.