Pink lightning narrowly misses kids!!!!

[Aaron Kennedy]

Well that's what the CNN headline reads at least (see front page, look at video section).

Only problem is the bolt that misses the children by 10 feet is actually an internal lens reflection

Aaron

 

[Skip Talbot]

Its completely obvious that's a camera glitch. Do they say so in the audio? I have it muted because I'm at work. If lightning hit 10 feet in front of you, you wouldn't continue to stroll down the street like nothing happened. Come on folks.

 

[Wayne Sclesky]

I had seen that too. I knew it wasn't lightning, but not sure what it was. Good eye Aaron!

 

[Gaetan Cormier]

Here's a quick link to the video:
http://lcn.canoe.com/cgi-bin/player...1.html&link_archive=/lemonde/&type_archive=Le

On CNN website you need to get through the publicity before seeing the video

See how the kids started running after the strike.. hehe bet ya they got a good scare!

 

[Jay McCoy]

Good Morning America also showed this and their morning "met" talked about how close this bolt was to the kids. he and the anchors talked about how lucky the kids were it didnt kill them so they made it seem to the public like this was an actual bolt. I was only watching on a small 5" while getting ready in the bathroom so I actually thought it might have been a leader coming up from the ground that they luckily caught on tape but now that I can see the video I think its just a trick of the lens.

 

[Dan Robinson]

I got that one beat - I got hit in my head AND my back within ten minutes of each other! All while standing under an overpass!





Seriously though, I'm surprised this effect is still mistaken for what it isn't. More examples are here.

 

[Angie Norris]

They just showed that on the news here. The meteorologist of the day said he definitely wanted to check it out further, because if the strike was that close, the kids would have at least been knocked down (which was my first thought as well) . The news anchor was wondering about photoshopping video.
Good catch, Aaron!!

 

[Jayson Prentice]

How can anyone really believe that it was the true strike?? It doesn't look anything like a true strike and is obvious it is a trick from the lens reflection... A strike that close to the kids and even the cameraman would have been so bright!! That thing is barely visible full speed...

 

[Robert Rohloff]

That was a classic global warming, smog amplified, warm rain lightning event if I ever saw one.

 

[B Ozanne]

That was a classic global warming, smog amplified, warm rain lightning event if I ever saw one.

I think it was heat lightning.

 

[Jeff Miller]

I don't understand this - it's obviously a lens effect. Amazing this wasn't fully researched before stating this as fact... oh well.

 

[Mike Peregrine]

heh ... TWC didn't say anything about a video from me one time that showed the same thing exactly ... two ladies were walking into a mall when a ghost bolt appeared to strike two feet behind them.

This is why I rely on BBC for real news.

oh yeah, this is either global warming or el nino ... definitely ....

 

[Skip Talbot]

CNN is calling it a "streamer" now....

 

[David Schuttler]

Our local CBS station in Tulsa showed it tonight, right after the weather. They are known for sensationalizing the weather at times though ...

 

[Mike Peregrine]

Yes, it's everywhere all the sudden. On other networks and local affiliates here as well. I blogged a little story about these video aberrations today, and am convinced that this was behind the effect in this particular video as well. We've seen it a ton of times on the forums here. The message is good ... don't run around playing in the rain during a thunderstorm. But the delivery is based on a misunderstanding.