‘Sprites’ Strike Uruguay… Giant bolts emitting red flashes
Uruguay witnessed, for the first time, a phenomenon known as “sprites,” which are unprecedented giant lightning bolts that strike upwards and appear during severe storms.
Local meteorologist Matias Medeiros (23 years old) successfully captured images during the red flashes that appeared in the sky during a severe maritime storm that broke out in Argentina and Uruguay, stating, “I can’t believe I captured it.”
Medeiros explained that the unusual flashes in the sky were “plasma,” or energy present in the hurricane region. He added, “When powerful lightning strikes, you see the released energy, while sprites differ from the lightning people are accustomed to as they strike upwards, creating bright flashes in the sky.”
“Sprites” are very rare types of lightning that occur at extremely high altitudes, specifically in the mesosphere and the thermal atmospheric layer.
Furthermore, it has long been known that they appear during very strong thunderstorms at an altitude ranging from approximately 50 to 130 kilometers. It is worth noting that the height of ordinary lightning does not exceed 16 kilometers, while the length of sprites reaches up to 60 kilometers with a diameter of 100 kilometers. They are occasionally observed by astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
