View from space: Lightning strike over

Saudi Arabia

A white flash of lightning is seen over the Gulf, along with the city lights of Saudi Arabia and
Kuwait, in this NASA picture taken on Dec 12, 2013. (Photo courtesy: NASA)

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By Staff writer | Al Arabiya News, Dubai
Wednesday, 26 March 2014

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/variety/2014/03/26/View-from-space-See-lightning-strike-Saudi-Arabia-Kuwait.html

NASA released a stunning image of a lightning strike over Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, as seen by
astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

The image, taken last December but released now, offers an incredible view of the white-flash of the
electric storm, with city lights visible amid heavy cloud elsewhere in the Arabian Peninsula.

The U.S. based agency obtained the images from a Firestation instrument installed on the
International Space Station (ISS) in August 2013.

The Firestation observes around 50 lightening strokes every day, and looks for brief bursts of
gamma rays, linked to nuclear fusion or exploding stars, said the agency’s website.
A video still image of a thunderstorm top similar to ones to be studied by NASA's Firestation
experiment. (Photo courtesy: NASA)

Scientists have also been interested in discovering the terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs), which
trigger lightening within a thunderstorm, added the website.

“The electron and gamma-ray energies in TGFs are usually the domain of nuclear explosions, solar
flares, and supernovas. What a surprise to find them shooting out of the cold upper atmosphere of
our own planet,” Doug Rowland, the principal investigator for Firestation and a space physicist at
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center said.

“The fact that TGFs exist at all is amazing,” he added.

NASA plans to install another lightening tracker to the ISS in the coming years, stated the agency on
its website.

Heavy rain and strong wind hit the emirate of Dubai among others on Wednesday. (Photo courtesy:
@ZeeTVME / Twitter)

Residents in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE and other GCC countries have experienced bad weather
including heavy rains in some countries late Tuesday, local media reported.
In the UAE, the national weather bureau warned residents about moderate to heavy rains,
hailstorms and thunders, which are expected to last for a few days, UAE-based Gulf News reported.