5. The Beijing Olympic Red Lightning Storm, 2008
Nature chose to put on a show of her own when the world was riveted on Beijing for the Summer Olympics. Just hours after the brilliant opening ceremony, on the evening of August 8, a strong rainstorm tore across the city and produced an unheard-of show of red lightning.
The Olympic venues were set against a strange backdrop as thousands of onlookers and athletes watched the heavens explode in scarlet bolts. Attendee Chinese meteorologist Dr. Li Wei remembered: “It was as if the heavens were celebrating the Games with their own light show. The red lightning was unlike anything I had seen in my entire career.”
Red lightning strikes happened every few minutes throughout the almost an hour-long phenomena. Quickly spreading throughout the internet, amateur films and images of the event enthrals spectators all over and provide an unexpected element of magic to the Olympic display.
Later on, atmospheric scientists found that the odd colour of the lightning was probably the result of a mix of elements, including the Gobi Desert’s dust particles and Beijing’s air’s high pollution levels. These conditions dispersed the light from the lightning bolts, producing the amazing crimson colour that captivated observers.
Apart from giving a striking background for one of the largest athletic events in the world, the Beijing Olympic red lightning storm of 2008 gave researchers examining the impact of air pollution useful information.