Possible Earliest Account of Ball Lightning in England Discovered by Scientists

The phenomenon, which could have been a ball lightning sighting, supposedly occurred in 1195 in the vicinity of London.

A possible description of a rare and unexplained weather phenomenon known as ball lightning has been discovered by researchers at Durham University in the United Kingdom.

According to EurekAlert, physicist Emeritus Professor Brian Tanner and historian Professor Giles Gaspermade this discovery by investigating an account penned by a 12th-century Benedectine monk named Gervase from Christ Church Cathedral Prioryin Canterbury.

In said account, the monk writes that “a marvellous sign descended near London” on 7 June 1195, and described a white substance emerging from a dark cloud and then forming into a spherical shape before falling.

“Gervase’s description of a white substance coming out of the dark cloud, falling as a spinning fiery sphere and then having some horizontal motion is very similar to historic and contemporary descriptions of ball lightning,” Tanner said. “If Gervase is describing ball lightning, as we believe, then this would be the earliest account of this happening in England that has so far been discovered.”

Gasper also remarked that, as Gervase “appears to be a reliable reporter,” they “believe that his description of the fiery globe on the Thames on 7 June 1195 was the first fully convincing account of ball lightning anywhere.”

Prior to this discovery, the earliest report of ball lightning in England was dated to 21 October 1638 when a “great thunderstorm” occurred in Widecombe, Devon, the media outlet adds.