One lucky Japanese resident was in the right place at the right time when he or she managed to capture lightning striking a commuter train during a violent thunderstorm.
In the video, which shows the moment lightning strikes the train in Tokyo, a bolt of light surges across the early evening sky before touching down on a railway as the train passes.
Filmed from some distance away, the footage leading up to the moment of impact also illustrates the buildup of the storm as smaller sparks light up the sky. (Skip ahead to 1:18 in the video above to see the massive bolt of lightning.)
According to the video's description, the thrilling -- yet, terrifying scene -- was filmed near an Odakyu Electric Railway station Monday around 7 p.m. Local media report that no one was injured in the incident, however the lightning strike did cause some power outages and train delays.
A lightning bolt can reach its target in less time than it takes a person to blink. As the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration notes, the channel of electrical charge is usually attracted to tall objects of the opposite charge -- that's why lightning often strikes trees, telephone poles and large metal objects.
To avoid being hit by lightning, the Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends people follow the 30/30 rule. "If, after seeing lightning, you can't count to 30 before hearing thunder, get inside a building immediately (because the lightning storm is close). And don't go outside until 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder," LiveScience explains in its how-to guide.
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