Lightning was sighted over Wichita during a severe thunderstorm

WICHITA, Kan. — Tuesday was indeed an electric night in Kansas as a photographer captured an incredible upward flash amid a raging thunderstorm.

Taylor Vonfeldt, the recorded the video in slow motion on his phone said it was the “most insane lightning strike” he’s ever caught on camera.

The lightning was a rare upward strike where the lightning appears to start at the ground and move towards the cloud, in contrast to traditional lightning strikes which appear to be from the cloud to the ground.

“What usually happens in upward flashes is that a strong electric field goes over the top of a tall object like a skyscraper or a radio tower, thereby initiating upward conductors from the tower,” says meteorologist Chris Vagasky with Vaisala. “They combine with the electric field in the cloud and lightning occurs.”

The National Weather Service had issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the area that night, with nickel-sized hail and damaging winds in the forecast.