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  • Author Author: shabaz
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Possible Lightning Strike - Tree Leaf Post-Analysis

shabaz

The UK has been having really nice (hot) weather recently, although there was a brief rainstorm, and possibly lightning during periods over the last few days.

We have small pear and plum trees, about 15-20 feet high perhaps. Anyway, the leaves looked really strange today : (

I'm not sure, but I'm wondering if lightning caused it. There are large trees from neighbouring properties that are much taller, and close by. There was some scattering of strange leaves in them too, and generally in the same area, i.e. the entire trees do not seem to exhibit the effect, but it is localised. I can't see any burn marks on the ground, but I have not checked the grounds of the neighbouring trees.

Notice the browned leaves:

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More close up:

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The pears seem disaffected, but the leaves look toasted : (

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A plant at the foot of the tree:

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A neighbouring tree:

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Scattered clumps of browned leaves in a neighbouring tree:

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Closeup of the browned leaves in a neighbouring tree:

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Has anyone else experienced anything similar? Do the photos above look like lightning damage, or could something else have caused it?

I'd be interested to hear all thoughts.

Parents

  • I don't know about the burning on the leaves, but your idea sounds really plausible. There are many small upward streamers of charge that run from ground to the cloud prior to one of them being used for the main discharge (had that gone back to your tree it would be a bit more burnt !).

     

    As said, your neighbour's tree is just full of seeds....it looks like an Ash tree. Keep an eye out for them trimming the tree and you could ask for a few branches to make tool handles from image

     

    I'm envious of the pears though. My tree is of similar height but every year the leaves curl and the fruits drop. I think I can make out one pear hanging on up near the top.

     

    Rod

  • in reply to 14rhb

    Hi Rod,

    Hehe yeah we do get pear overload each year.. that tree has been there for decades, although it did get severely damaged early in its life, when a chopped tree fell on it. We have a poking stick for the young nephews to use to pull the pears off.

     

    I've uploaded a video to for a closer look at the trees, I did mess up, those were seeds : ( Nearby is another large tree, and it appears to have browning right above me, when I'm standing next to the pear tree, (I did look at the rest of the tree for similarity - but I still feel it's too much of a coincidence that the the large tree, and the nearby plum tree, have such coloration only near to the pear tree. It could be subjective, maybe I'm only seeing the coloration closest because that's what I'm seeking, despite looking elsewhere on the trees too. : (

     

    The pear tree overall has extensive damaged leaves. I've got some closeups of a leaf from it..

    image

    More zoomed in:

    image

     

    Other side of it:

    image

  • in reply to shabaz

    Hi Shabaz,

     

    I like the notion that the low currents in the upstream charge flow has caused this damage, in the same way that mountain climbers say their hair stands on end and their iceaxes spark etc.

     

    You could try emailing the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) who are usually really helpful as they could advise on bugs/virus/dry weather symptoms.

     

    Rod

  • in reply to 14rhb

    That's a great idea! I've sent them an e-mail, stating that although I'm not a paid-up member, the engineering community would appreciate their opinion  image

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