The video captured by Rader Lane and posted by the National Park Service (NPS) shows a thunderstorm sweeping the landscape of the Grand Canyon. The footage was captured near Yavapai Point, an area that provides some of the best views of the Grand Canyon’s south rim.
Streaks of lightning can be seen striking the landscape as heavy rain falls. Thunder can be heard rumbling in the distance.
As the video goes on, the heavy clouds can be seen dispersing, revealing a “spectacular” sunset.
According to the NPS, this happens in the afternoons during the summer monsoon. Monsoon season in Arizona and the Grand Canyon is usually between June and mid-September.
In a caption to the video, the NPS said: “One of the best times of the year to watch sunset at Grand Canyon is during the summer monsoon […]. If we are lucky, they depart just before sunset, the lingering clouds and distant lightning making for one of the most spectacular light displays on Earth. This lightning storm was at least 40 miles away, making it safe to film on the rim.”
During the monsoon season, Arizona sees storms that can produce 2 to 3 inches of rain in one hour, or a day. The state overall sees less than 10 inches of rain a year. The state sees the majority of its rainfall during the monsoon season. The storms often cause flash flooding.
The Grand Canyon National Park sees an average of 25,000 lightning strikes a year. Lightning is generally attracted to the canyon’s edges because it is attracted to the ground. The steep edges are thought to provide the straightest path to the ground.
As an iconic landscape, the canyon has around 5 million visitors a year. Due to this, the NPS cautious visitors to be wary of lightning storms such as the one seen in this footage.
Those walking or hiking can be at risk from getting struck by lightning during monsoon season. The NPS urges visitors to pay attention to weather warnings in the area before planning activities.
According to Grand Caynon.com, visitors should seek shelter and move away from the edge of the canyon if a lightning flash follows thunder within 30 seconds.
Scientists believe the Grand Canyon began to form 5 to 6 million years ago. This is when the Colorado River began to erode through the area, cutting through the layers of rock, to eventually form the canyon.
