Mother Nature puts on a show: Dazzling moment lightning strikes an erupting volcano sending bolts streaking across the night sky

The incredible moment a lightning bolt struck an erupting volcano in Guatemala was caught on camera.

The mesmerizing footage shows multiple lightning bolts hitting the mountain, creating a spider web pattern that streaks and flashes across the sky. The lightning creates a dazzling visual spectacle as they appear to converge in lava and smoke billowing from the mountain’s vent.

The footage shows Volcan de Fuego, Volcano of Fire, and occurred on September 21. The volcano is considered one of the most active in the world, shooting ash into the sky every 15 minutes.

The phenomenon of lightning appearing to strike volcanic material as it is shot into the sky is rarely observed.

So-called ‘volcanic lightning’ is created by colliding, fragmenting particles of volcanic ash and sometimes ice, which generate static electricity in the volcanic plume.

The earliest observations of volcanic lightning come from Pliny the Younger, who describes the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

The stunning images show Guatemala’s Volcán de Fuego during one of its many eruptions last Thursday

So-called ‘volcanic lightning’ is created by colliding, fragmenting particles of volcanic ash and sometimes ice, which generate static electricity in the volcanic plume

Due to its location in Guatemala’s Pacific Ring of Fire, it has an unusually high density of volcanoes

The Roman author and administrator wrote: ‘There was a very intense darkness, made the more horrible by the intermittent flashing of torches, which were obscured by the momentary flash of lightning.’

Due to its location in Guatemala’s Pacific Ring of Fire, it has an unusually high density of volcanoes.

There are at least 324 volcanoes and ‘eruption centres’ across the country, which is about half the size of Britain.

Three of them, Fuego, Pacaya and Santiaguito, are currently active and supervised by Guatemalan authorities.

Fuego, which lies more than 3,000 meters above sea level, is the most active stratovolcano in Central America.

The last major eruption occurred in December 2022, with ash landing up to 50 kilometers away.

The eruption in June 2018 killed more than 300 people and threw ash 9,000 meters above sea level.

The hills surrounding the volcano are dotted with accommodations where tourists can stay and watch the volcano erupt all night long.

Recently, heavy rainfall in the area caused dangerous accumulation of mudslides, combined with heavy ash. In 1541, the mudflow caused by the mix of rain and volcanic ash destroyed the first established city in Guatemala, Ciudad Vieja, which was founded by Spanish conquistadors.