A lightning bolt can be about five times hotter than the surface of the Sun.
Lightning can heat the air to around 30,000 °C. The Sun's surface is about 5,500 °C.
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How hot, exactly?
A lightning bolt heats a narrow channel of air to around 30,000 °C (about 50,000 °F) almost instantly. The US National Weather Service puts that at about five times hotter than the surface of the Sun, which is roughly 5,500 °C.
Where thunder comes from
That sudden heating is what makes thunder. The air expands so explosively that it creates a shock wave, which reaches you as a sharp crack or a long rumble. Light travels far faster than sound, which is why you see the flash before you hear the thunder.
Test yourself
Compared with the surface of the Sun, a lightning bolt is about…
Lightning heats air to around 30,000 °C. The Sun's surface is about 5,500 °C.
Sources
Fact-checked 14 October 2026 · Report a mistake
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