Wednesday, June 19, 2013 — Clear 14°C
City

Toronto lightning storm August 2011

Posted by Derek Flack / August 25, 2011

34 Comments

Toronto Lightning Storm August 2011Toronto lightning storm 2011! Although the most powerful winds and hail were felt elsewhere, as the photos below illustrate, we got one hell of a light show. At times the strikes and flashes were so frequent that the sky was illuminated for seconds at a time, and at the height of the storm there were scant spaces between each bolt. Oh, those earth shattering thunder claps didn't hurt the mood either.

It was the CN Tower that really took centre stage, though. Some reports counted more than 25 lightning strikes over the course of the thunderstorm, which hit the city in earnest just before 10 p.m. yesterday. So while there was no Toronto tornado — in spite of a brief frenzy on Twitter — what at one point appeared to be another near miss turned out to be one of the more exciting weather events of the summer.

Here's the first round of photos from the blogTO Flickr pool. As more come in, we'll continue to update the post. Lead shot by Jonathan Ponce.

Update (8:00 a.m.)

Here is an awesome video sequence of the storm:

Lightning TO from Jon Simonassi on Vimeo.

PHOTOS

CN Tower LightningPhoto by picturenarrative

Toronto Lightning Storm August 2011Photo by Mike Tan

Toronto Lightning Storm August 2011picturenarrative

Toronto LightningPhoto by AttilaA2011

Toronto LightningPhoto by Dave Han

CN Tower LightningDave Han

Toronto Lightning Storm August 2011Photo by ZensLens

Toronto Lightning Storm August 2011Photo by Hamish Grant

Toronto Lightning Storm August 2011ZensLens

Toronto Lightning Storm August 2011Photo by Richard Gottardo

Toronto Lightning Storm August 2011Richard Gottardo

Toronto Lightning Storm August 2011Photo by guitarchitect

Toronto Lightning Storm August 2011Photo by Liam Kearney

Toronto Lightning Storm August 2011Photo by dylancook

Toronto Lightning Storm August 2011Photo by Scott Wilton

Toronto Lightning Storm August 2011Photo by vladTO

Toronto Lightning Storm August 2011Photo by *Imperialis*

Update (more photos):

Toronto Lightning StormPhoto by JPanda2009

Lightning Storm TorontoPhoto by MustGoFaster

Lightning StormPhoto Roozbeh Rokni

Lightning Storm TorontoPhoto by David G. Tran

Toronto Lightning StormDavid G. Tran

Toronto Lightning StormPhoto by Cobby17

MORE VIDEOs

This is NOT on repeat! Video by Kris Anthony Photography

Power!

A pretty good indication of the frequency and intensity of the lightning.

Video by SteveCarty

The reaction is priceless...

Discussion

34 Comments

Sort By Oldest First / Newest First

Subscribe

dan / August 25, 2011 at 12:25 am
user-pic

These pictures are unbelievable, real skill on the photographers part.

http://www.wesisearch.com/blog
Reply
Paulette Frost / August 25, 2011 at 12:46 am
user-pic
Amazing, just amazing! Thanks for posting. Toronto finally lets the light shine! I love Toronto!
Reply
Glenn H / August 25, 2011 at 12:58 am
user-pic
My kids & I were at The EX when the storm hit. We went to the Food Building & I decided to go to the East entrance to watch the CN Tower get hit by lightning. Everyone was just watching it & then I pulled out my iPhone & started snapping pictures of it getting hit & showing the kids & people around me. All of a sudden everyone started pulling out their cell phones & doing the same. If was like I started a flash mob & everyone was comparing pictures (who got it better). There was about 20+ people doing this. What a way to enjoy a thunder storm. I'll always remember this.
Reply
BenderDrummer / August 25, 2011 at 01:32 am
user-pic
This was my video of lighting from the west side of Spadina. it was amazing how frequent the CN tower was hit. I would compare it to waiting for a disposable flash to charge up. It was incredible how 'on time' it was. I'm also wondering if over the air HD broadcasts were effected, as the transmitters are less than 80 feet below the scorching tip.
Reply
BenderDrummer / August 25, 2011 at 01:34 am
user-pic
You'll have to click my name to see my video of lighting from the west side of Spadina. it was amazing how frequent the CN tower was hit. I would compare it to waiting for a disposable flash to charge up. It was incredible how 'on time' it was. I'm also wondering if over the air HD broadcasts were effected, as the transmitters are less than 80 feet below the scorching tip.
Reply
Diego / August 25, 2011 at 02:31 am
user-pic
Probably a dumb question but for things like the CN Tower that naturally get struck by lightning a gajillion times, how does this affect things the tower does, if at all?
Reply
Dmitri replying to a comment from Diego / August 25, 2011 at 04:27 am
user-pic
Diego, lightning is just a whole lot of electricity, all the tower does is sends it back to earth. Kind of the same as standing next to subway tracks, but with much more current.

@BlogTO: I haven't got a timelapse video for you (sorry), but I have made short but fun animated gif from the photos I made: http://dmitrisanimation.com/img/2011_08_24_lightning-hits-toronto-cn-tower

(scroll down on the linked page)
Reply
terence / August 25, 2011 at 09:36 am
user-pic
my own video of the storm... after it had died down a bit, but it still shows the frequency and there are a few good strikes (around 3:10 is a good forking one)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjSVR5JUSpw

and another photo:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/guitarchitect/6078185471/
Reply
U / August 25, 2011 at 09:45 am
user-pic
My God!

How did everyone survive the greatest storm to ever hit Toronto?!?!

If it weren't for CP24 i wouldnt have known what to do!
Reply
JoeParez / August 25, 2011 at 09:56 am
user-pic
The photo of the lightning touching down on the lake is the best of the set! Great timing.

Also, the shots of the clouds remind me of the final scenes of Ghostbusters.
Reply
Michelle / August 25, 2011 at 10:15 am
user-pic
Beautiful pictures and videos, thank you all! I am envious of your skills. I stood on the porch for ages trying to get a good picture of the lightening hitting the CN Tower. I got one short video on my iPhone which I'm trying to learn how to edit.
Reply
Michelle replying to a comment from Diego / August 25, 2011 at 10:16 am
user-pic
What's interesting is that the elevator was still going up and down the CN Tower during all of this, and only saw the lights go off once.
Reply
tim b / August 25, 2011 at 10:22 am
user-pic
Most of those tweets were lame. Was that really the best you could find?
Reply
Daniel Blodgett / August 25, 2011 at 10:25 am
user-pic
Here's a few from the west end in central mississauga. First shoot I've done of a lightning storm had a blast doing it. Pictures were taken from my balcony. Lots to learn still.
Daniel

http://www.flickr.com/photos/blodgettfreezeframe/sets/72157627391051535/
Reply
Kevo replying to a comment from Michelle / August 25, 2011 at 10:41 am
user-pic
They knew the CN Tower was going to be a massive lightning rod, so any outside surfaces that'll attract lightning are grounded. That means that any lightning that hits it is transferred to grounding cables which discharge the current into the earth.
Reply
Rob / August 25, 2011 at 10:55 am
user-pic
Fucking phenomenal photos!
Reply
saltspring / August 25, 2011 at 11:53 am
user-pic
The pic of lightning grounding out directly into the lake is very very cool.
Reply
lindsey replying to a comment from Diego / August 25, 2011 at 12:16 pm
user-pic
The power did go off in the tower after one of the major strikes for about ten minutes. Not sure if that was a direct result of being hit.

These photos are amazing, I wish I had my camera on me at the lightening party I was at last night.
Reply
Ryan / August 25, 2011 at 12:38 pm
user-pic
Here's a time lapse a friend did of the storm and strikes on the CN tower

http://vimeo.com/28137918
Reply
munzz / August 25, 2011 at 03:27 pm
user-pic
no one here mentioned why the CN Tower was lit in orange?

The final celebration of nature for Jack Layton.
Reply
Uncool / August 25, 2011 at 04:15 pm
user-pic
Ummm... I cannot guess what #dlws stands for. Can someone help out this hopeless person?
Reply
CHANCE / August 25, 2011 at 06:47 pm
user-pic
OK, DO NOT THINK OF THE STAYPUFF MARSHMALLOW MAN.
Reply
apeksha / August 25, 2011 at 06:49 pm
user-pic
#stormTO #TOrnado #Toronto ImissuToronto u look supa sexy drenched in storm aswell&CN ur a beauty standingTall luk even lighting isfalling4u
Reply
daRasta / August 25, 2011 at 07:06 pm
user-pic
Why cant we take the electricity strikes from the tower and disperse into the grid ?
Seems far fetched to store vast amounts of energy, but we should be able to attenuate and then use.
Reply
zee lowell / August 25, 2011 at 07:58 pm
user-pic
Great photos!
Thanks for sharing.
Reply
RegorTellah replying to a comment from daRasta / August 26, 2011 at 06:20 pm
user-pic
People been trying to do that for years. Just too much, too quickly. Like taking a drink at the bottom of Niagra.
Reply
RegorTellah replying to a comment from daRasta / August 26, 2011 at 06:21 pm
user-pic
Previous comment for #daRasta
Reply
Ann / August 27, 2011 at 12:05 am
user-pic
Wow, I am missing all the excitement in hometown! I miss the spectacular weather of Canada. San Diego is always just sunny...
Reply
alexei / August 27, 2011 at 12:39 pm
user-pic
The date of this storm it is the same, here in Caibarien, Cuba, there was something similar, even a lithing broke the cement roof of a house, and the thunders were like bombs
Reply
Marilyn / August 29, 2011 at 10:30 am
user-pic
Wow.amazing photos..
Reply
Marilyn / August 29, 2011 at 10:31 am
user-pic
Wow amazing photos....
Reply
Jesse Ewles / August 31, 2011 at 04:34 pm
user-pic
They gotta figure out a way to harvest the lightening. 1.21 gigawats!
Reply
thelma leadbeater replying to a comment from apeksha / December 29, 2011 at 05:31 pm
user-pic
toronto Lightening Storm August, 2011
Reply
Kyle Pierce / January 5, 2012 at 02:29 am
user-pic
Fasten your seat belts, it''s going to be a bumpy night.
Reply

Add a Comment
Other Cities: Montreal