A Bolt of Lightning Contains Enough Energy to Toast About 100,000 Slices of Bread

Lightning is one of nature's most spectacular displays of energy, but how much energy is actually in a bolt? A single typical lightning bolt releases about 1–5 billion joules of energy — theoretically enough to toast approximately 100,000 slices of bread.

The problem is that a lightning bolt lasts only about 0.2 seconds, making it extremely difficult to harness practically. Lightning bolts can reach temperatures of about 30,000 K (53,540°F) — five times hotter than the surface of the Sun. The thunderclap you hear is the sound of rapidly expanding superheated air. The planet Earth is struck by lightning about 100 times per second — over 8 million times per day.