Talk: The mysteries of lightning
This event is part of the Royal Society's Summer Science Exhibition 2026.
Lightning is one of nature's most destructive and unpredictable forces, with over 3 million lightning strikes hitting the Earth every day.
But have you ever wondered if lightning occurs on other planets? What happens when an aeroplane gets struck by lightning? What percentage of wildfires are caused by lightning? How is the UK's electrical grid protected from lightning strikes?
In this talk, Dr Daniel Mitchard from the Lightning Laboratory at Cardiff University – Europe’s only university-based lightning research laboratory – explores these questions and explains why lightning behaves the way it does.
Attending the event
This event will be held in Theatre 1 at the Royal Society on Thursday 2 July 2026, 11am – 11.30am.
- Free to attend as part of Summer Science Exhibition on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to seat availability. We recommend that visitors arrive 10-15 minutes before the session
- Eventbrite tickets for Summer Science Exhibition are recommended, with only a limited number of walk-up tickets released on the day
- Suitable for students aged 14+
- This talk will take place in person
- A recording of this talk will be available later on the Royal Society YouTube channel
- Live subtitles will be available
- Travel and accessibility information and details on planning your visit - contact us directly to arrange any specific accessibility requirements
- Food and drink will be available for purchase at our onsite café
For all enquiries, please email us.