A storm-chasing photographer has captured stunning footage of a brief, vivid burst of red light high above a thunderstorm in Western Australia’s remote Kimberley region.
The phenomenon, known as red sprites, consists of luminous red sparks that erupt in the upper atmosphere. These rare events are caused by powerful electrical discharges above intense thunderstorms, occurring in the mesosphere and stratosphere.
Photographer Danny Welgama described the sighting as a “see-it-to-believe-it” experience.
“I caught it out of the corner of my eye, rushed back to the camera, and just lost it when I saw the images — I was screaming with excitement,” he said.
“You really have to know exactly where and what to look for, or you’d miss it completely.”
Mr Welgama highlighted the Kimberley’s ideal conditions for observing sprites, thanks to minimal light pollution and vast flat landscapes.
“It happens in the blink of an eye and vanishes. If you’ve never seen one, it’s hard to believe — many people assume the photos are AI-generated,” he added.
His advice for aspiring viewers? “Grab a beer, step outside, and look high up at the top of the sky during a storm.”
Hunting the Elusive Sprites
For the past two years, Mr Welgama has dedicated himself to chasing storms across the region to document these surreal displays. He has honed his ability to predict their occurrence and positions himself accordingly.
“The thunderstorm needs to be 150–200 kilometres away. For this capture, the storm was over Fitzroy Crossing while we were shooting from Derby,” he explained.
“Red sprites, along with blue jets and gigantic jets, shoot upwards 40–90 kilometres above the cloud tops, so you need a clear line of sight overhead.”
A Bureau of Meteorology spokesperson noted that while both lightning and red sprites involve large-scale electrical discharges, they are fundamentally different.
“Red sprites are thought to be a type of luminous plasma, unlike typical lightning,” the spokesperson said.
“They form much higher in the atmosphere — in the stratosphere or mesosphere — compared to standard lightning, which occurs in the troposphere. They usually appear directly above massive thunderstorm systems, though sometimes offset with a gap in between.”
Mr Welgama says he plans to continue his storm-chasing pursuits across the Kimberley in hopes of capturing more of these fleeting natural wonders.
